Chuck vs the Alpha Version
by P.J. Murphy
Summary: Chuck, Sarah, and Casey encounter an Intersect from 20 years in the past and must protect him from The Ring. Season 3 story that was originally a three-part script. Story now complete with several chapters of new material and an alternate ending.
1. We're Not So Loyal to You, Illinois

This is the story version of the three-episode arc I wrote with "Chuck vs. the Fighting Illini," "Chuck vs. The Knack," and "Chuck vs. the Three Rooms." The events in this story take place in Season 3. A few guesses are taken with regards to the Chuck universe, including the return of Morgan and Anna, Chuck retaining the new Intersect, and Chuck and Sarah finally admitting their feelings for each other. (about time, right?)

I hope you like it, and please feel free to comment.

* * *

**_Champaign, IL  
October 22, 1990  
11:15 AM CDT _**

It was a typical chilly Saturday in Champaign, IL. The cool temperatures of fall made their traditional early visit to the heartland. Somehow, it wouldn't be appropriate to play football in this part of the country at any temperature above 70 degrees. The team was supposed to be good this year. They had a new quarterback, and the defense was one of the best in the Big Ten. This 3rd year coach, John Mackovic, seemed to be the answer the team was looking for. Expectations were high against a ranked opponent. The fans filing in for this early game, courtesy of a national television broadcast, felt the excitement. At least the ones who weren't still hung over from the Friday night parties.

Of the 65,000 people in Memorial Stadium, Jimmy Slade cared about the game the least. Making it through the day alive had a slightly higher priority.

In a way, the events of the past 48 hours shouldn't have surprised him. Jimmy was used to things going wrong. He couldn't even get people to call him "Jim" or "James," thanks to that damn Osmonds variety show back in the 70's. He was the kid that everybody picked on. Every school had one of those, and Shermer Township School District 262 had Jimmy in the role. One would not have expected the son of an NFL player to be the target of ridicule and scorn. 99 times out of 100, having a dad in the NFL added some caché to your existence. But it would seem that getting the holding penalty that prevented the winning touchdown in the NFC Championship qualified you for the 1 time out of 100.

Playing off of his father's originally-intimidating moniker of "Mad Dog" Slade, Jimmy quickly became known as "Bad Dog." This probably would have qualified him for therapy alone without constantly getting smacked in the nose with a rolled-up newspaper. Or having students grab you by the neck and sticking your face in dog crap. And if the girls treated him this bad, one could imagine what the boys did.

Compared to now, however, Jimmy would gladly eat that dog crap with a knife and fork made of sterling silver. He'd even spring for a bottle of Merlot.

There was still no way to know what happened. He regained consciousness, as far as he knew, about four hours ago. He came around in a train wreck of a room he barely recognized. Looking at his hands and wrists, there were cut marks all over them of varying sizes and degrees, as if he was cut by different sizes of broken glass. Some of them looked like knife wounds. He was having a hard time trying to put the pieces together.

There was something even more wrong than cut marks or a lack of memory. Something kept happening at random times, something he couldn't control. Something that caused him severe pain. The general parameters were the same each time. He would see a series of images, typically 2 or 3. He would see information about different people or locations. People or locations that were featured in the news over the years, usually not in a positive light. As the images went through his mind, he felt searing pain. It knocked him off balance; it forced him to shut his eyes to cope with it.

He wasn't sure why this is happening. What happened in the National Center for Supercomputing Applications seemed innocent enough at the outset. A group of students were told the NCSA was experimenting in making teaching techniques more efficient. It sounded good to him, especially when he was told he had high scores from the initial testing. It was the only thing in his life that he could take pride in: testing well, especially in mathematics and science. Test scores never cared if you're fat, lonely, or sad. The highlight of his high school career was scoring a 33 on the ACT tests. He never bothered attending his graduation, and not a single girl in school would even go near him, much less show any interest.

He went into the second part of the experiment with an optimism he hadn't felt in a long time. He remembered the initial written tests being of a highly technical nature. There were questions on physics, calculus, statistical analysis, chemistry, and algorithm development. There were also several essay questions that had to be written based on articles they gave him, but he wasn't nearly as proud of those. He was a math person, not an English or Literature person.

The second part of the experiment was nothing that he expected. He walked into that room with a single chair. The other 9 students were not in the room. All he saw was a large projector screen and the female student who had accompanied the group through the first part of the tests. He noticed the student had made up her mind about Jimmy after 5 seconds, constantly looking at him like he was something she scraped off the bottom of her shoe. Not that this was new to Jimmy; women had a habit of looking at him like he was the scum of the earth.

She walked out of the room, turning out the lights as she did so. On the projector screen, he saw pictures. They were common everyday items: buildings, flowers, pets, people, locations, events in history. For some reason, he couldn't move his eyes away: it's possible he didn't blink when he needed to. The images had an almost hypnotic effect. The speed by which the images flickered by increased as time went on. Something in his mind screamed a warning his body chose to ignore. He couldn't look away, no matter what he tried. It felt like his blood pressure rose 100 points. Suddenly he collapsed, falling out of the lone chair in the room. He was still uncertain when exactly that happened.

After he came to, something in his mind told him to disappear, to run away. He bounded out of the NCSA, kicking, punching, and throwing anybody that attempted to stop him. He ran through the Illini Union, across the quad, and he kept running south. He stopped behind the Education building to catch his breath. He could hear the noise from Memorial Stadium 4 blocks away. He had planned to go to the game originally; he had been raised in a football household, after all. He headed towards the stadium. For reasons he could not explain, he had a feeling he was being followed. The streets weren't particularly crowded where he was, since most people were already at the stadium for the game. Still, he felt like someone was behind him. He quickened his pace as he headed for the stadium.

Behind Jimmy, two figures were giving pursuit without making an ostentatious showing of it. They couldn't send a SWAT team after him, since they were trying to keep their interest in Jimmy to a bare minimum to outsiders. The direction they were heading led them to believe that Jimmy might try to lose himself in the crowd at Memorial Stadium. They already had someone staked out by Jimmy's seat at the game, but the veteran agent already concluded Jimmy wouldn't be that stupid. They'd have to do this the hard way.

Jimmy was already dressed for the occasion with a blue ILLINOIS sweater on. After entering the stadium, he made a beeline to the nearest souvenir stand and purchased a hat. He was hoping to make himself less conspicuous. Of course, being 60 pounds overweight would not help accomplish this. Damn cafeteria food and alcohol, anyway. He darted through the crowd, bumping into the occasional person. He was trying to put some distance between himself and the people he was now certain are behind him, even though he never looked. He ducked behind a post and looked back. He noticed two men in their mid-40's heading in his direction. He focused on the taller one. He felt another flash coming on. He saw images of a restaurant and a group of dogs, and then saw a CIA file of the man who was pursuing him. There was a focus on a line in the file that indicated this man was supposed to be dead, killed aboard Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland. The pain hit him hard.

Jimmy was almost in tears from the pain. Part of it was physical, part of it psychological. He couldn't control what was happening. Now it had happened for the 7th time since he awoke. Four times he was looking at something when it happened, twice he heard something, and once he detected a smell he never encountered before. All of them ended with the same results, the same pain. The pain was bad enough, but not being able to control it or stop it took an even greater toll on his psyche. As an extra added bonus, something just occurred to him: someone WAS following him.

Jimmy started looking around for an exit. He spotted a door near one of the concession stands. He ducked inside, hoping there was a service exit out of the stadium. However, the only other door led back to the concourse 10 yards further down. Jimmy was breathing heavily, partly from exhaustion, partly from fear. He walked to the other door while surveying his options. He saw a tunnel across the concourse leading down. Looking down the tunnel, he could make out the I in "Illinois" painted on the Astro-Turf in the end zone. He looked back into the crowd. The man he spotted earlier and his partner were about 15 yards away. He decided to chance it and darted for the tunnel.

The downward angle of the tunnel accelerated him. He leaped over the short brick wall and past a surprised Champaign Police officer. Jimmy figured running on the field itself was a lot easier than ducking people on the concourse. He sprinted down the sideline behind the Michigan State bench. People were more surprised than anything else. Fortunately for Jimmy, nobody on the Spartans made any attempt to stop him; few of them even turned their attention away from the game. Jimmy stayed along the sidelines, hoping not to attract any more attention than he already was. When he hit the other end zone, he made a sharp turn, ducking in the middle of the Illinois marching band. Weaving through them, he ended up in the tunnel behind the end zone. He spotted a ramp leading to the upper levels. His only other option was a gate, but he would have to get around a dozen security guards and 4 police officers. He chose the path of least resistance and ascended to the upper deck.

Jimmy was winded as he made it to the top of the stadium. He was in the corner section all alone. He stopped to catch up on his breathing. Maybe he eluded the men following him. Maybe he could escape, head to the Greyhound station, and take a bus to any destination far away from here. Maybe he would have time to figure out what the hell was happening to him.

The appearance of the two agents a minute later answered all of those maybes in one fell swoop. _How? How did they find me?_

Jimmy didn't know if they carried guns or not. Perhaps they wouldn't have drawn them in the middle of the crowd. But the fact there was not a soul around ended that argument. The two agents stepped slowly towards Jimmy with their weapons out.

The shorter agent spoke first. "Come on, Jimmy. We don't have to do this. Let's bring you back and see what we can do to help you."

Jimmy started to back up. Considering what happened to him, he was not in a position where he was willing to take this man at his word. Especially a man he never met before that knew his name. He backed up against the brick wall. Jimmy was running out of real estate.

The tall agent who somehow survived Pan Am Flight 103 sounded a little more menacing. "You know we can't let you go. Just come back and you'll be fine."

Jimmy had never been more scared in his life. He was physically exhausted, his mind was no longer under his control, and there were people with guns after him. In the back of his mind, he started to think that he'd be better off if the two men just shot him and ended this now. That seemed to be a more palatable option than returning to the lab. He had a hard time believing they could fix something that went so horribly wrong. He looked around and saw an opening in the stadium to his left. At any other time, his mind might have registered that the opening wouldn't lead anyplace, except straight down to the concrete 10 stories beneath. He might have considered charging the two men and try another escape. He might have had more time to figure out what is happening to him.

None of those things happened. He rolled to his left, got up, and dived out of the opening.


	2. The Lost Art of Seduction

_**Burbank, CA  
**__**October 12, 2009  
**__**11:30 AM PDT**_

Big Mike was mad as hell. Unlike Howard Beale, not taking it anymore was not an option. The last 6 months had toyed with his mental state. Emmett Milbarge seemed to get his kicks specifically targeting him for menial tasks, and taking the garbage out to the dumpster was a popular method.

"I cannot believe this. I make this store a place where people can work and I don't hassle them. I keep corporate off my ass by making sure the store runs right, and what's my reward? Cleaning out that piss-hole of a breakroom, then having to clean out that damn baby changing table, where it would be nice if SOMEONE actually brought a sheet to change their kids on! Where is the justice in this? Is this really fair?"

Unfortunately, the kid with glasses, red hair, and uncertain gender was of little comfort or help to Big Mike's diatribe. Big Mike didn't even get assistance with tossing the bags into the dumpster.

"Michael!"

The familiar intonation-part drill sergeant, part Nathan Lane-of Emmett's voice interrupted Big Mike's self-reflection. He returned to the sales floor with a slow burn that could power a small town for months on end.

Emmett had the troops gather in their standard line when he needed to make an important announcement. The employees were more than familiar with his condescending tone.

"Fellow members of Buy Moria, tomorrow will be a wonderful day. In this troubled economy, this store will be a beacon of the call to invest in our futures. We are holding a computer training class for people to hone their skills so that they may find some gainful employment. Once our trainer has inspired them to go out and pursue their American dream, they'll be motivated to put their new skills to work. This means HUGE computer and electronic sales! I need everybody to be here to make sure none of those sheep leave without making some MAH-HA-JOR purchases! This store needs to be ready. Nerd Herders, you will help Mr. Todd get set up in the back room today. The rest of you…GET TO IT! DISMISSED!"

The group broke up. Jeff Barnes, Lester Patel, and Anna Wu stayed together as they headed back to the Nerd Herd desk. The return of Anna and Morgan from Hawaii was actually a blessing in disguise for Emmett. Since Chuck's departure, it had been incredibly difficult to motivate Jeff and Lester to work. Threatening them with termination was not sufficient incentive to make them work, especially since nobody else wanted the job. However Anna had a propensity for motivating the past-their-prime slackers he could not explain, nor did he find it necessary to question it. The greater advantage was the package did not require re-hiring Morgan; he went to work for Chuck at his new company.

"So who is this Todd guy, anyway?" Lester was the first to wonder about their work for the day. "Is he some sort of teaching guru?"

"That's exactly what he is. He's supposed to be this great teacher/inspiration Deepak Chopra type. Goes around the country doing this stuff. He can get anybody trained," replied Jeff.

Anna considered the two people in front of her. "Anybody?"

"Not that I would need advice on technology." Jeff's point was emphasized when he adjusted his belt, causing his cell phone to fall off. "I hear he wears size 16 shoes."

"So?" Lester questioned.

Jeff replied in that tone he had that could make you steer your kids to the other side of the store. "You know what they say about a man with big feet."

Lester stood there, alternately fascinated and repelled, but Anna was lost in her own thoughts.

_**Zork Computer Consultants  
**__**October 12, 2009  
**__**1:00 PM**_

The Joe Walsh song _Life's Been Good_ was made a few years before Chuck Bartowski's time. But like any red-blooded American male, he knew to appreciate the song and what it meant. He didn't live in hotels…all the time, anyway…and his Prius did nowhere near 185. However, he did acknowledge and was thankful for the positive turn his life had taken over the last 12 months. It wasn't always a smooth ride. Twice he had fallen from buildings. He had to endure torture several times. He received two Intersect upgrades: one from Bryce and one from Fulcrum. It was an emotional roller coaster finding out his father was the creator of the Intersect. Not only would General Beckman not try to retrieve Stephen Bartowski, it took Sarah risking her career and life to keep Chuck away from an underground bunker in Washington D.C. to find Stephen.

But he did have a chance to walk away from all of it. He could have found a different path in life. He considered what could have been from time to time. But something happened that night in the Intersect room. He saw the body of his one-time best friend and roommate, the man he thought had betrayed him. The man who protected him from the life he could have had. The same man who now lay dead, killed for trying to protect Chuck, his family, and the country. That night, Chuck knew what he had to do. He never truly believed those who said he was more than a computer nerd working at a Buy More. Those who thought he was meant for so much more. That is, until that night. He knew he needed to change his life. He knew he had to do something greater than he ever thought possible.

At first, he feared how Sarah would react to him uploading the new Intersect. Neither of them could deny how they felt about each other. They could pretend their relationship was only at a certain level, they could try and rationalize that they couldn't be together; that outside forces could keep them apart. But at some point, the tango they did around their feelings had to end. He went to her that night, after all the reports were filed, the enemy agents incarcerated, and everyone went home. He talked and explained and stammered how sorry he was to do that to her. He talked about wanting to give her the life she wanted. He told her how he felt in so many words that flowed out like a raging river. Sarah just looked at him, her deep blue eyes never wavering. Then she stopped him in the only way you could stop a talkative and emotional Chuck Bartowski.

She kissed him.

She kissed him with an intensity and a passion that made the morning in the motel in Barstow seem like a peck on the cheek. She held his face with all her strength. In contrast to the nervously loquacious style of his, her words were simple but conveyed everything she wanted to say to him for almost two years.

_What I want is to be with you, Chuck. I love you._

Life made a lot more sense after that. The team was never broken up. If General Beckman suspected a closer relationship between Chuck and Sarah, she never let on; no doubt influenced by the level of success the three had in the field. For their part, Chuck and Sarah maintained a low profile around Casey. Even though he knew and was far from being an ardent admirer of the couple, he accepted the reality of it. They were kind enough to minimize the PDA's around him, unless they were feeling playfully torturous towards him.

Thoughts of this nature tended to ease the interminable drive from their apartment in Echo Park to his new business. Chuck's departure from the Buy More and new skills with the upgraded Intersect mandated a new cover job be created. The CIA purchased a small store across from the Orange Orange. The cover was kept very simple: Chuck would be a computer consultant, handling networking and hardware requests, mainly for small businesses. In memory of his Stanford roommate, he decided on the name Zork Computer Consultants, based on the game the two shared a passion for before stepping on the Palo Alto campus. The firm didn't have many customers yet, but those kinds of things happen with new businesses, especially during a bad economy. Their only advantage was they didn't expect to go under anytime soon, thanks to the American taxpayer.

This particular morning would be a little different. A man named Anthony Todd called several days earlier to arrange the rental of 20 laptop computers, a projector, and a portable server for a class he was teaching at the Buy More. There was nothing earth-shattering about the rental; it would make sense to rent the equipment from a place just across the street from where you would be teaching. However, Chuck decided to put in a little extra effort to make a good first impression. His black slacks and white long-sleeve shirt said professional without being too restricting. His black Converse Chuck Taylors, though, were not open to negotiation.

John Casey sat in the back of the office away from the main door. He was always surrounded by several computers and monitors. Although he considered this a step up from dealing with the Buy Morons on a daily basis, Chuck's upbeat attitude, made even worse by his relationship with Sarah, were nails on a chalkboard to him. And then there was Morgan…

Morgan Grimes returned from Hawaii without achieving his dream. He put in the time and effort to be a Japanese steakhouse chef. However, he just didn't have the talent to do it. He did return to Burbank with all 10 fingers still intact, which was more than he could say for the classmates who worked near him. Morgan convinced Chuck, in ways most human beings could never understand, to let him work at Zork as a receptionist and office manager rather than going back to the Buy More hat in hand. With so few customers, Morgan's lack of social courtesy had not yet become a problem. But there was always a first time for everything.

Chuck walked to the back of the office, where Casey was in a more-surly-than-usual mood.

"Do you want to explain to me why we're wasting government computers and bandwith to get a hacker's copy of _Call of Duty_ _VI_?"

"As tempting as it might be, I would think you'd give me a little more credit and realize I would not do that on the CIA's server. But I can have a reasonable guess as to who did it."

Casey started to rise. It had been a few weeks since he got to beat on anybody, but Morgan would suffice for today. Chuck quickly stopped him.

"Case, Case, I'll take care of it, you just….do whatever you like to do back here. And I'm not even going to ask what that might be."

"Do it now, or I'll treat Morgan like a pedestrian in Grand Theft Auto," he growled.

Chuck was taken back slightly by the fact his game-playing antics with Morgan had rubbed off a bit on Casey. He decided it would be better for his sanity…and Morgan's health…to deal with this immediately. He went to the front of the office.

"Morgan, how many times have I told you about using the computers here to illegally download? Can't you do that at home?"

"Well, I could, Chuck. However, it would take so much longer, and I'm sort of on a blacklist with my ISP already. C'mon, man! This new one is supposed to be epic!"

Chuck rolled his eyes. "Not that I don't look forward to the new CoD, I'd just prefer not being forced to play it while doing a stretch at Chino."

Chuck was thankful the door chime interrupted their intellectual conversation. Anthony Todd walked in. Anthony was a large man, easily pushing 400 pounds. His hair looked very gray for someone that could have passed for 30 or 35 otherwise. However, there was one curiosity Chuck. Anthony surveyed the room quickly. His royal blue eyes darted back and forth as he entered, as if he was expecting someone to attack him.

Morgan interrupted Chuck's observations. "Hi. Can I help you with anything? Computers? Networking? Recommendations for area buffets?"

Anthony shot Morgan a quick look, but Chuck got the impression it wasn't the first time Anthony heard cracks like this. "I'm Anthony Todd. I called a few days ago about renting 20 laptops and networking equipment for a training session I'm giving at the Buy More tomorrow."

Chuck quickly interjected before Morgan could open his mouth again. "Oh, yes. We've been waiting for you. Glad we finally get to meet. Got the equipment all ready to bring over there."

"Thank you."

Anthony looked towards Chuck when he said that. Suddenly, Chuck flashed. He saw a football stadium and a college campus he did not recognize. What troubled him was what followed. Or more accurately, what didn't follow. He only saw a few items: a picture of a younger Anthony Todd, thinner, no gray hair, the name James "Jimmy" Slade, and the word "Intersect." Chuck shook off the flash and came back to reality.

"Yes, yes, let me get the equipment up here. It's already on a cart waiting to be taken over," Chuck says with a slight stammer.

Chuck headed to the back of the office. Casey stood up, having heard Chuck's conversation.

"Is that the guy who wants the laptops?"

"Yeah, yeah it is. And I just flashed on him."

Casey's interest was suddenly piqued. "What did you see?"

"Very little, actually. Just a name and the word "Intersect."

Casey looked at Chuck oddly. Chuck was not sure what to do with this information. Casey went to one of the computers to contact General Beckman to relay the information. Chuck wheeled the equipment up to the front and asked Morgan to accompany Anthony and the equipment to the Buy More so the Nerd Herders won't have an impromptu game of catch with the mice. Casey was still mad about having to replace that monitor.

_**Castle Underground Facility  
**__**October 12, 2009  
**__**2:30 PM**_

CIA Agent Sarah Walker had been through as much as a 29-year-old woman could. Up until 2 years ago, she did most of it on her own. No support from family and no friends from school to speak of. Just a man who came to arrest her father one day and convinced her she had enormous potential. That man, her former boss, brought her through 4 years of college and CIA training. He could not have been more correct about her talent. It was her trust in others that became a problem. She seemed to work best alone, trusting only herself. Ordinarily CIA Director Langston Graham, dead a year now thanks to Fulcrum sabotage, would have considered this counterproductive to working in the field. However, like most intelligence directors, he rarely argued with positive results. It was quite a learning experience placing her in the situation he had two years prior. Not only did he require Sarah to work with a partner, a partner from a rival agency that had little regard or respect for her, but who also happened to allegedly kill her ex-partner and lover. Indeed, those first few weeks with John Casey were trying in their best circumstances. But as time went on, both of them developed a proper understanding...even appreciation...of the other, whether by shared life-threatening experiences or jointly protecting the 28-year-old computer repair person who just happened to have every piece of information from the intelligence community inside of his head.

Her relationship with that 28-year-old computer repair person was far more complicated.

A lot of that was her own fault. Her dealings with men made for an interesting case study in and of themselves. Her relationship with her father was forever colored by the cons they pulled, even though she never realized until she got older how many people she hurt with them, whereas her father had no regard for taking from others. Neither high school nor college brought about a relationship where she could trust herself enough to open up to others. In her 7 years working for the CIA, the relationship with the one partner she could work with became a sordid mess on so many levels. The synchronicity with which Bryce Larkin and she worked in the field caused their relationship to become more than friendly. His alleged betrayal of her and the agency when he stole the Intersect data did not help her make peace with her feelings. By the time everyone had learned the truth, Sarah realized that her feelings for Bryce could be attributed to the intensity of the moments when their lives were on the line.

Chuck Bartowski was different. He didn't understand why, or even how, these events culminated in him becoming the government's most valuable asset. His baptism into the world of espionage was a rough one, to put it mildly. But there was something about him; something that Sarah found different…comforting. As if one person could show her another life. A life where she could trust herself as well as others. Someone who trusted her implicitly and without reservation. Someone she could always rely on. Someone who would live and die to make her happy. She tried to write him off as just part of the job. But she could only deny her feelings for him for so long. She thought she could walk away after his father removed the Intersect from his head. But in the end, what she wanted in life was the person she had spent the last two years protecting. She feared the fallout, but she summoned the courage within her own emotions to face it.

It turned out her fears were ungrounded. General Beckman simply refined the team to have two objectives: the continued protection of the Asset and his integration into becoming a full-fledged agent. General Beckman knew she had found the two best handlers to protect Chuck. So far, it appeared she also found the two best instructors for him.

Sarah was already waiting downstairs when Chuck and Casey arrived. She tried stifling a yawn, a typical occurrence for her about this time of day. The lunch and snack crowd that frequented the Orange Orange had come and gone for the day. Although the cover job could get pedantic sometimes, she had to admit it was a vast improvement over the Wienerlicious. There was no annoying boss, the orange tank top and white Capri pants were far more comfortable than the German waitress getup she used to wear, and it didn't take her 30 minutes in the shower every night to get the hot dog smell out of her hair. Chuck's constant comments of how cute she looked in her new outfit was a nice little boost to her ego as well.

General Beckman appeared on the large LCD screen. She was ready to report on her analyst's findings regarding the man who entered Zork a few hours ago.

"We don't have any information in our databases about either an Anthony Todd or a James Slade, Chuck. Are you certain those names are correct?"

"Well, obviously he gave the name Anthony Todd, so I assume that's an alias of some kind. But I did see the Slade name correctly. I don't get it, though. Why would I see the term 'Intersect'?"

"Could he have been on a list of people from Stanford and your Intersect just put the two names together?" Sarah opined.

Casey shook his head. "Nah, that wouldn't make sense. The two of you weren't even in junior high when this guy went to college. He also sounded very Midwestern. Born and raised there would be my guess. Who would send their kid from there to Stanford? They send their kids to state schools in the farmland."

"His parents could have been rich," Chuck offered.

"He doesn't dress or act rich. You don't lose that, even if you're broke. Besides, it'd make more sense then to go to Northwestern or Notre Dame. You don't travel halfway across the country if you can get a decent-enough education right down the road."

"General, it's obvious we'll have to find out more about him so that we know if he's a threat or not," Sarah answered.

"Agreed. Agent Walker, I want you to go in there tomorrow as a student in his class. Chuck, you should be able to stand in the class easily, as he would expect you to watch your own equipment. Let's find out all we can about this…James Slade."

_**Echo Park  
**__**October 13, 2009  
**__**7:30 AM**_

The day of a mission, or "game day," as Chuck called it, was fairly quiet for the couple. Sarah and Casey were always thorough at studying their roles and knowing their duties in accomplishing their missions. A lot of that self-discipline had rubbed off on Chuck. He took those days more seriously now that he was working towards being a full-time agent. Granted, his job today was fairly straightforward. He was to pretend to walk out of the class when it was over and then wait to come back in after a few minutes. Once Sarah had Jimmy distracted, he would try to find any information he could in the hopes of flashing on something. Outside of any last-minute questions, he typically left Sarah to her daily routine. In fact, they decided to drive separately to the Buy More mall just to keep a perceived separation intact. He gave her a quick kiss before she left, one far shorter than he normally gave, so that he didn't interfere with her concentration on the job.

_**Buy More Training Room  
**__**October 13, 2009  
**__**4:30 PM**_

Sarah had sat through more than her fair share of lectures in her life. Besides the ones the average college student attended, she received nearly as much education from her instructors at Langley. Classes on profiling, psychology, and world affairs were part of the curriculum at Spy U, along with a few goodies, such as weapons and combat training, rescue simulations, and infiltration and inducement of enemy personnel...or "seduction school," as the students called it. Attending a class in how to use a spreadsheet was quite workaday by comparison. Already knowing how to use them…along with having a computer expert for a boyfriend…allowed Sarah to study Jimmy during the class. She could see where people would get their money's worth out of him. He was a dynamic speaker who could break down very complex concepts into simple language for people without making them feel inadequate. His rapport with students worked well both as a group and in one-on-one situations. Yet there was something there that she couldn't quite figure out. It was as if he was putting on some sort of act. That wouldn't be unusual; she had to do that herself on numerous occasions. But there was something she caught in his eyes, as if there was something he was trying to guard against.

She decided to play the standard "damsel in distress" following the class. She would ask a few questions regarding some of the topics he had covered. Hopefully, it would take enough time to keep him occupied while Chuck snuck back into the room to gather more information on him.

"So, folks, study Functions in Excel well. Go through the help manuals online. Most importantly, PRACTICE THEM at home. Come up with some ideas, like a family budget, passing out cell phone minutes to your kids, organizing fantasy football stats, anything you can think of where you would need these. Companies don't need people who can cut, copy, and paste. They need people who can think outside the box and explain exactly what they're doing with ease. You can do it. If you have questions, my email address is at the end of your books. Thank you very much for attending, and I hope you have great success."

The class gave Jimmy a round of applause as they filed out of the room. One or two of them stopped at the front to thank him personally and shake his hand. Sarah pretended to busy herself with gathering her books and notes as the room gradually emptied. Soon, the two were alone in the classroom.

Jimmy noticed her there. "Anything I can help you with?"

Sarah smiled at him. The "million watt" smile, as Chuck always called it. "Um, I have a couple of questions that I'm hoping to find out for my business. I run the Orange Orange across the mall, and I really need this for inventory."

"Sure. What's giving you trouble?"

Sarah turned and moved closer to Jimmy, forcing him to turn away from the door. He was on the opposite side of the table from his briefcase.

"Would I be able to set it up so that the program will automatically calculate shipping fees that my distributors charge me?"

She noticed his stance change for a brief second, and then it went back to where it was.

"Certainly," he answered. "That's part of what the lookup table can do for you."

She gave a slight laugh, trying to sell the 'I really need your help' angle. "But, can I change that anytime I want if they raise their fees? I mean, it's been tough lately keeping track of that stuff."

His expression changed. His eyes seemed to go cold on her, suddenly immune to anything she was saying. She realized that he saw through her ruse; a fact confirmed by the feel of a sharp blade at her throat. She noticed the respectably-sized knife he held in his right hand. His demeanor was calm but calculated.

"And what are you REALLY here for?" he asked.

She was more surprised than anything else. She completely misread him. She tried to play innocent. "What? What did I do wrong?"

"Nine times out of ten, when a woman flirts, they want something from the guy. And I'm too damn ugly to be the one time. Not to mention, you were getting those questions right during training, so I know you're full of crap."

On the outside, Sarah's expression didn't change, but she was inwardly cursing herself. She made two key mistakes in assessing him. Firstly, she let her drive as a former student get in the way by doing the exercises correctly for which she had questions. She wasn't sure if he even knew she did them, but it was obvious now he noticed. The other mistake was more subtle. During the class, she called him over for help once or twice; just enough so that she seemed interested but not so many times she would be remembered. Her Orange Orange outfit didn't conceal her body very well. She felt the stares of many men on an almost daily basis. And to someone who would be standing over her while she was seated, her cleavage had nowhere to hide. For some reason, however, she never felt him look down for any portion of time. That should have told her to try a different tact. Perhaps something on a more intellectual level. But right now, it was time to even things up.

"I really don't know what you're talking about," she said as she surreptitiously slid her right hand back to where her gun was located.

"Looking for this?" Her eyes widened as she felt her own gun prodding the right side of her stomach. "The gun behind your back that can be spotted a mile away? A little advice: either get a smaller gun or a larger ass." Jimmy quickly glanced at her body. "I strongly recommend the first one."

Sarah was starting to panic. This man was book smart, street smart, and clearly dangerous. The lesson she learned about fighting a man more than 300 pounds heavier than you was to not let them get their hands on you. Obviously, six inches of real estate was nowhere near the minimum safe distance.

_Come on, Chuck. Distract him._

Chuck snuck into the room about the time Sarah felt her own gun prodding her side. She hoped he would distract him enough where she could disarm Jimmy and take her gun back. She glanced quickly at Chuck as he removed a piece of paper from Jimmy's briefcase. She saw what looked like a hotel reservation in his hands. However, Jimmy caught him out of corner of his eye. He trained the gun on Chuck without breaking eye contact with Sarah.

"Get AWAY from my briefcase."

Chuck dropped the piece of paper. "O-OK. OK." He stepped back but glanced at the hotel reservation. Sarah saw the telltale signs of Chuck flashing on the piece of paper. Jimmy caught it as well.

Chuck's words came in a rush. "Jimmy, Jimmy. Calm down. Maybe we can talk."

Jimmy looked a bit surprised Chuck called him by his actual name. However, the gun remained pointed at Chuck, and the knife remained at Sarah's throat.

"What are you talking about?"

"Project Goodwin?"

Sarah didn't know what Project Goodwin was, but the words had the desired effect. Jimmy's eyes went wide, and he slowly backed away from her. He turned toward Chuck, lowering the gun in the process. His look was one of complete shock.

"Who the hell are you?"


	3. Where It Began, Where It Could End

_**Buy More Training Room  
**__**October 13, 2009  
**__**5:00 PM**_

Chuck was feeling two emotions as Sarah, Jimmy, and he waited for the arrival of Casey. Chuck and Sarah considered it wise to wait until he could bring the information sent from D.C. before questioning Jimmy further about who he was and why he was in Burbank. The first emotion was straightforward, as far as he was concerned. He was upset with himself. Sarah was caught in a dangerous situation, and he didn't react quickly enough. He wasn't certain what he could have done to get her out of it, but he knew that he concentrated too much on his role without being cognizant of Sarah needing help. He wanted to find information, and he didn't even realize how hazardous the situation became until a gun was pointed at him. It didn't matter that they got lucky: you didn't want to wager your life on luck falling your way.

The second emotion was easy to identify but hard to comprehend: confusion. Something struck him as odd when Jimmy pointed the gun at him. He got the feeling Jimmy just wanted him to back off; that he never intended to harm Chuck. What followed added to the confusion. During the past half-hour, Morgan arrived at the store to take the equipment back to Zork. Lester, Jeff, and Anna broke down the computers, projector, and server, and put the equipment on the cart for Morgan. Chuck busied himself assisting them with cleaning up the area while Sarah kept a watchful eye on everybody, particularly Jimmy. However, if Jimmy was really dangerous, he was making a good show of not acting that way. He started by assisting in the shutdown and the removal of the laptops, placing them gently back in their cases. He even went as far as cleaning up the various cups, cans, and napkins that littered some of the tables. The gun and knife he possessed were stashed away in his coat pockets, and he never made a move towards them. At one point, Anna asked if anybody wanted a soda or water from the vending machines. Jimmy gave her a bunch of singles, enough to treat everybody and then some. Anna went around the room to take drink orders. Chuck watched all of this, and the confusion mounted.

_He's acting as if he's really helpful. He could have walked out anytime he wanted. He still had the gun and knife, so he could have taken any of the Nerd Herders or Morgan hostage if he was desperate. He didn't do any of that. Is he really dangerous? If he is, why make such a show of being nice? If he isn't, why not run like hell and get away?_

Chuck could only come up with two conclusions that seemed to fit. The first was that Jimmy wasn't actually dangerous, just highly mistrusting of others. The second was Jimmy must have been as curious about Chuck and Sarah as they were about him. Whatever was going on, it appeared Project Goodwin, whatever that might be, was something which had a profound effect on Jimmy.

Morgan left with the cart with Jeff and Lester following him. Anna gave the drinks to Sarah, Chuck, and Jimmy, and then she departed. Two minutes later, Casey arrived with an inch-thick manila file folder. He sat at one of the tables and broke the paper seal on it. Chuck and Sarah settled down into seats. For some reason, Jimmy remained standing. He was the one to break the long silence.

"I gather all of you are with the CIA?"

Sarah ignored Casey's derisive grunt. "How would you know?"

He looked towards Sarah. "Very few people would know about Project Goodwin. Most of them are either dead or very rich right now. I could tell by your eyes you were some sort of government agent. You were more surprised than scared when I put that knife to your throat. Clearly it was not the first time you were threatened."

Then something happened Chuck wasn't expecting. Jimmy got a slight look of guilt on his face. He pulled the gun from his coat pocket by the barrel and handed it back to Sarah.

"I'm very sorry about that, by the way," he quietly said. "I'm a little too used to being screwed over to trust anybody."

"Not a problem."

"Also, I would imagine if you were actually a threat to me, like some sort of enemy agent, you wouldn't have hesitated to kill every student in that room in order to get to me. Can't say I like the CIA, but they do try to keep the body count to a minimum whenever possible."

"It's tough to be nice some days, I admit," Casey quipped.

Jimmy turned to Chuck. "But none of that explains how you would know about Project Goodwin."

"Well, you see, I'm…"

Sarah cut him off. "He's an analyst working for us, and he did some research to find out about you after you came into the store yesterday."

Jimmy looked at her like she just insulted him. The temperature in the room dropped another few degrees.

"Nice try, Secret Agent Barbie, but nobody would have known information from that long ago without a ton of painstaking research. I happened to catch the end of his reaction when he dropped those papers. When he saw my hotel reservation, he acted like…like…"

Jimmy put the pieces together. He stared at Chuck in amazement.

"You're an Intersect! They experimented on you, too! Good God."

Chuck went right to his first defense in this situation: pure denial.

"I'm not an Intersect. What, do you think I have some sort of computer in my brain?"

"Oh, really?" Jimmy retorted, clearly tired of the lies and being patronized.

He went to his briefcase, shuffled through the papers, and pulled out a picture. He held it up to Chuck's face. Before Chuck could look away or feign innocence, he flashed. He saw images of pyramids and a street fair, a picture of Anwar Sadat, his assassination, a listing of several hundred Islamic extremists believed involved in his murder and subsequent uprisings.

Chuck's reaction gave him away.

"You ARE an Intersect. You react the same way I used to. Only without the searing pain and the staggering around."

Chuck came to the only conclusion that made sense, as crazy as it sounded to him. "And you were the first Intersect. You'd be like my…my…"

"Older cousin," Jimmy replied with a stern glare.

"OK, enough with this weird family reunion." Casey cut off the banter between the two suddenly-related individuals. He read from the file. "James Alexander Slade, born April 4th, 1970, Evanston, Illinois. Father Burton "Mad Dog" Slade, ex-NFL lineman. Your mother, Barbara, and sister, Joanna, killed by a drunk driver when you were 8 years old. Father died of a heart attack, age 57. No long-time friends, no relationships, no girlfriends, it doesn't even look like you dated in high school or college…"

Casey suddenly felt looks of shock and anger from Chuck and Sarah. He relented in his unflinching reading of Jimmy's file. He moved forward to the pertinent information.

"Attended the University of Illinois, participated in Project Goodwin in the fall of 1990 as a junior. You escaped from CIA handlers after they tried to bring you back so they could fix what happened to you. Allegedly, you died from a fall from the top of Memorial Stadium during an Illinois-Michigan State football game. You want to explain why you ran away and how you're still alive?"

Jimmy stared at Casey another moment, not exactly thrilled he provided this recap of his life. He then turned to Chuck and Sarah.

"Project Goodwin was the first attempt at encoding data into images for the purpose of seeing if a human being could retain the information and recall it at will. They brought scientists in from all over the country to the U of I to work on the project. Hell, the National Center for Supercomputing Applications was partly funded by the intelligence community. There were 10 of us in that first group, who passed all of the initial testing. Of course, they told us this was an educational experiment, so that teaching could be redesigned to be more efficient. I was the first person to go in. They started downloading the images into my brain, but I guess the technology needed to catch up to the theoretical research first before trying it out. It was a failure. The images were too much for me to handle. Or so I thought."

Chuck noticed Jimmy's facial expression change. His words became slower and more laborious, as if they gave him pain.

"I was in a catatonic state for…I really don't know how long. I heard voices screaming. When I came to, it looked like the room was completely ransacked. For all I know, I might have been the one to do that. I must have been totally out of my mind. I broke through the room, I don't know how many people I assaulted on the way out; I was completely insane."

Jimmy stared out into space. Casey filled in the details. "Yeah, 3 scientists and 6 guards were injured during your escape. Fortunately for you, all of them survived."

"I got to the top of the stadium and dove off. I don't know if it was because I was out of my head or trying to kill myself or what. I clipped one of the stadium light stanchions on the way down, and it redirected my fall. I ended up landing on some tailgater's RV. I got a broken arm, but I was able to hide inside it until after the game. I snuck out when they stopped at a gas station on the way home. I've tried to stay hidden ever since. Took odd jobs here and there to survive. Perhaps I should have picked something more low-key than a computer trainer, but it was the only good way to earn money in a lousy economy."

Chuck continued to look at Jimmy. It was now obvious Jimmy wasn't a threat…not of his own intention, anyway. Chuck's view of Jimmy became one of sympathy. Jimmy went down the same path as him. He was an unwitting accomplice to a CIA project. The Intersect completely changed his life. Unlike Chuck, however, there were no silver linings for Jimmy. Everything went wrong that could have, and there was nobody to help him get through it.

"You've been on the run for almost 20 years?" Sarah asked, and Chuck detected a bit of softening in her voice as well.

"Admittedly, it was a lot easier back then. Computers weren't as good as they are now, and DNA testing didn't really exist yet. After a few years, I figured whatever I knew wasn't worth being pursued over anymore. I don't think anybody would have believed me, so it seemed stupid to show up on Larry King or something with my story."

Suddenly, Chuck had a concern. "But, what about your flashes? Is that what I have to look forward to with this Intersect in my head?"

Jimmy shrugged. "I don't know, but I'm guessing this is restricted to me. The technology just wasn't good enough to do this back then. At the time, the Internet was still on college campuses. Hell, personal computers were still largely limited to big offices twenty years ago. The rest of the people who experimented with me? I found out later that they shut down the project and had them work on creating graphics for the Internet to cover for all the expenditures. They succeeded quite well. They made the first graphical Web browser there a couple of years later."

That made sense to Chuck. "That's right, Mosaic was the first graphical Web browser, and it was created at University of Illinois. And those other 9 people?"

Jimmy couldn't hide the bitterness. "Are frickin' millionaires right now. That's right, folks. Everything you know about the Web and all the features of the Internet come from two places. One of them is the government."

"And the other?" Sarah asked.

Chuck began to laugh. "The porn industry."

Sarah looked towards Jimmy and rolled her eyes when she saw him trying not to crack up.

Jimmy looked to the group. "Well, now you know my tale of sorrow and woe. And if you don't mind, it's time for me to leave."

Jimmy went to the door. Casey stood up and blocked his path. "You're not going anywhere, Slade. I'm sure the government wants to talk to you further."

Jimmy got the same cold look in his eyes Sarah saw directed at her earlier. He got close to Casey, his eyes searing straight into the taller NSA operative.

"I'm not really sure if I can take you in hand-to-hand or not, but someone with nothing to live for has a distinct advantage over someone who is just doing their job. I suggest you remember that. "

Jimmy pushed past Casey and exited the training room. Casey emitted his patented low growl and started to go after him.

Sarah stopped him. "Casey, wait! Let's see where he goes."

Chuck's concern for Jimmy continued to rise. Jimmy had done nothing wrong, and suddenly Casey had thoughts of an underground bunker for him. He felt compelled to speak up.

"Sarah, the government can't put him into a tank after all this time. He's already gotten screwed over once; they can't do that again."

"Chuck, Casey's right. The government needs to know what he knows first. Not necessarily because they're worried about what he'd do, but to make sure it's nothing that might interest international terrorists, unfriendly governments, or The Ring."

She turned to Casey. "But let us handle this. A delicate approach is the way to go."

Chuck was confused. "He didn't trust you before. What will make him trust you now?"

"Not me, Chuck. You."

Chuck stared in silence at Sarah.

_**Buy More Sales Floor  
**__**October 13, 2009  
**__**5:30 PM**_

Emmett Milbarge was many things. Oblivious to the needs of the average consumer was not one of them. His prediction of the prior day was absolutely correct. Many of the students from Anthony's class were milling around the computer department looking for deals. He was in cheerleader mode, especially given he raised computer prices 25% three days ago and then stuck 15% off sale tags on most of them.

"Ah, I can just hear those cash registers beeping. Hop to it, my green-shirted worker bees! We have customers with credit cards! We don't know how long before they're maxed out, so let's go for the kill now!"

Emmett skipped merrily down the aisle past Big Mike, who was dealing with one of the students from the class.

"Do you recommend that I purchase a desktop system or a laptop?" the customer asked.

Big Mike was lost in his own bitter world right now. "What I recommend is that you NEVER trust anybody! Not your wife, not the people who work for you, not your boss, nobody! They'll turn their backs on you in a heartbeat and have you unclogging toilets before you can say 802.11G!"

"Well, the laptop is 15% off, so I think I'll go with that," the customer nervously replied.

Big Mike came to his senses. "Oh, oh yeah. Good choice there. Don't forget a wireless mouse. It's a big help."

_**Hotel Sports Bar  
**__**October 13, 2009  
**__**9:00 PM**_

He did it again.

Jimmy sat at a sports bar in the hotel, his burger and fries barely touched. Normally not a habit of his, he seemed to prefer nursing the beer which accompanied it instead. Usually, he settled for diet soda, as getting drunk was a far more expensive and worthless proposition these days. He checked his accounts on his laptop and made the bank transfer of $1,000 to Zork Computer Consultants for the rental of the equipment.

Old habits were very hard to break after a lifetime, especially for Jimmy Slade. His inability to trust people went back to his childhood. Getting picked on all the time, back in the era before teachers were supposed to intervene, and people treating you like dirt because of how you looked had a tendency to give you trust issues. You pushed people away before they had the chance to hurt you.

Still, it was no excuse for how he acted towards the goofy nerd and the hot blonde earlier. Really, what did they do wrong, anyway? If they worked for the CIA, all they were doing was investigating who he was. That wasn't something beyond the realm of possibility for any government branch. Given who he was it had to be viewed, at the very least, as a sensible precaution. He could have come up with some BS story, but it seemed the nerd…Chuck, was it?...had a fairly good handle on who he was. Jimmy even got the sense that Chuck was a bit sympathetic towards him after learning about his past. And Sarah didn't seem that upset with him, given he took her gun and had a knife to her throat. Maybe she was just used to being in danger a lot. He guessed field work wasn't always comprised of observing targets. That was probably the boring part. Perhaps having a gun and knife pointed at you, then living to tell the tale, made for a pretty good day in her book.

That thought made him feel like an even bigger ass than he already did, which was saying something. He should have just played along with her instead of threatening her. Granted, she patronized him quite a bit. But on most other males, he had to believe they would have fallen for her flirting. She was quite good at it, actually. She just didn't realize how well the "mark" in question knew that women never approach him that way. Actually, they didn't approach him at all. Self-hatred and self-awareness were a dangerous combination for a person to have, but Jimmy had grown accustomed to it after more than three decades.

An email popped up on his computer. It confirmed a transfer of $3,000 from the Buy More in Burbank to his account. He furrowed his brow, since the amount should have been $3,200. He gave the Buy More $800 for renting the room and collecting fees. At $200 per student, a full class should have netted him $3,200 before paying Zork. He checked the roster for the class. A slight smile came to his face: the lone non-payee was the same blonde CIA agent he had mused about for the last 10 minutes.

_I think we'll write that one off. It's only fair. She probably knew the material, anyway._

Jimmy had two training classes at the end of the week and the beginning of next week around San Diego. He had another day in Los Angeles. He decided to stay near the hotel tomorrow. If they showed up to talk to him again, he'd try to be nicer. He gathered his laptop and briefcase. He left $20 for a $12 tab. That's the only thing he learned about making friends. Bartenders, wait staff, and lap dancers tended to like you if you were a good tipper.

_**Echo Park  
**__**October 13, 2009  
**__**11:00 PM**_

Sarah emerged from the bathroom in long shorts and one of Chuck's t-shirts. One of the 'confessions' she got out of Chuck since they started living together as an actual couple was she drove him crazy during their "cover dating" phase when she wore those tight, spaghetti strap undershirts and tiny panties whenever the two cohabitated in the same bed. She had to admit doing that on purpose a few times for exactly that reason, although she'd never say that to Chuck. She made something of a mental compromise once they started dating: she reserved the tiny panties or lingerie for the nights where she had no intention of letting him sleep. She knew blue was his favorite color on her, and he was especially happy when she wore the ocean blue matching bra and panty set to bed. Unfortunately, that outfit was CIA issue and had garrote wire hidden in the bra straps. She made a sojourn through the Victoria's Secret catalogue to find an equivalent outfit. She was glad she did. She also found several pairs of silk boxers for Chuck she thought would turn her on. When he modeled them for her, she couldn't have been more right. That ended up being a very fun weekend together.

Tonight, Chuck sat in the bed wearing a plain t-shirt and plain blue boxers. He had a look of concern on his face. He normally had a smile for her, but that seemed to be lost at the moment.

"What's wrong, sweetie?"

Chuck looked up at her as if he had something to confess. "I'm sorry about messing up earlier today."

Sarah mentally reviewed the events in the Buy More Training Room and could not come up with a single mistake he made. "What are you talking about? What did you mess up?"

"I concentrated too much on getting some information out of Jimmy's briefcase. It didn't even occur to me that you might be in trouble. By the time I figured it out, he was pointing that gun at me."

Sarah considered that for a moment. Technically, it was a mistake on Chuck's part. But it was an easy one for anybody to make. It was likely a combination of too much focus on your role and too much reliance on your partner to do their job. Missions almost never went according to plan. However, most agents only learn that once the mission itself starts going wrong. She made both mistakes a few times in her early years with the agency. But this was not the time to delve into technicalities, especially with your boyfriend in bed.

She climbed into bed next to him and rested her head on his chest. "Maybe it was an error. But then, you could have tried to intervene, and Jimmy could have panicked. He might have ended up shooting me, whether on purpose or by accident, or even slashed me with the knife. All things considered, it worked out well. We know a lot more about him now than we did before."

"That's the other thing that has been bothering me today. He's kept himself hidden for almost 20 years. The CIA put him in this spot to begin with, and now we're after him again. If he's smart enough to stay off the radar for that long, shouldn't we just leave well enough alone?"

"I don't know. Part of me thinks that way, but a bigger part of me wants to make sure he's OK. He would be quite valuable to a lot of people, and not all of them are friendly. I really don't want anything bad happening to him. The CIA does owe him for what happened. Maybe they can set something up like we did with you."

She smiled and looked up into is puppy-dog brown eyes, which had a bit of a twinkle in them at her comment. "OK, not EXACTLY the same thing, but you get the idea." He held her tightly and laughed.

"I think I would prefer that to the underground bunker scenario. But we can't even get him to talk to us."

"That's where you'll come in tomorrow. The first order of business is to get him to trust us. I think you'll do a better job than me."

Chuck's look of concern appeared again. "I wouldn't even know how to do that."

Sarah wanted to continue the conversation, but she had gotten too used to the 8-hour nights of sleep they successfully had the last few weeks, and she wanted to take advantage of them. She pulled his face down to her and gave him a kiss.

"Not to worry, Chuck. We'll talk about it in the morning." She gave him another kiss. "I love you, baby."

Chuck gave her a warm smile. "I love you, too."

_**Hotel Sports Bar  
**__**October 14, 2009  
**__**5:30 PM**_

Jack Daniel's and Diet Coke was not Jimmy's usual choice in an alcoholic drink. He was mainly a beer person. Since being on the West Coast, he tried to avoid drinking altogether. There seemed to be an obsession with losing weight out here, especially in Los Angeles. He figured Hollywood might have something to do with that. He always tried not to draw attention to himself when he was in public. He obviously couldn't do much about his weight, but perhaps he could look like he was imbibing his drinks more slowly. Beer didn't always lend itself to that.

He sat in the same bar he was in last night and organized his briefcase. So far, none of the 3 Agency employees visited him. He wasn't trying to make himself scarce; they knew the hotel where he was staying. He considered the possibility he was being watched. Indeed, he saw a few more people in the lobby today than when he checked in two nights ago. But without knowing what was going on around town, they could have been in the hotel for any reason. Thinking he was being watched might have been just a tinge of paranoia.

His mood was quite somber. He spent the last 20 years trying to pretend his life never happened. Jimmy lived day to day at this point. The world was cold, lonely, and unyielding to him, and he was growing accustomed to it. But yesterday brought back painful memories he didn't want to relive. The cold, detached rhythm with which Casey summarized his life made the experience that much worse. Looking at the Jack and Diet Coke in front of him, Jimmy was surprised it was only his first. However, the day was still young.

_**Hotel Lobby  
**__**October 14, 2009  
**__**5:40 PM**_

Chuck and Sarah walked through the plush lobby of the hotel. They remained in contact with Casey, who was outside the hotel in his new Crown Victoria. They discussed many things in how to approach Jimmy today, right down to wardrobe. Chuck thought wearing jeans and his "Cowbell Hero" t-shirt might make things less formal. Sarah's selection of a simple white blouse, black slacks, and denim jacket worked as a complement to Chuck's dressed-down attire.

Chuck was a bundle of nerves, as he had to take point in this situation. The remaining information in Jimmy Slade's file didn't provide much more than they already knew. He still wasn't sure how he was going to start talking to Jimmy, even as he and Sarah entered the bar.

Sarah spotted Jimmy at the other end. "See, there he is." She spoke into her two-way communicator watch. "Casey, we see him. We'll call you if we need something."

Sarah noticed Chuck's consternation. "We have to get him to trust us."

"Sarah, he's not going to do it. He's got 20 years of anger in his glass there."

"He may want to talk. If he really didn't, he wouldn't be sitting at a bar in the hotel where he knows we'd find him."

It was quite the role reversal for Chuck; he was usually the optimist. "Maybe you're right. But how do I talk to him? I don't know even where to begin."

"Where to begin? You two have almost everything in common. It'd be like talking to an older brother, or Ellie. You at least have some idea of what's he's been through."

"But I've only had this for two years. And I have you and Casey. Well, more you than Casey. You two have made it easier for me to deal with this."

Sarah gave his hand a gentle squeeze. "Maybe that's what he needs: someone to make it easier for him. You're very trustworthy."

He turns to her with his boyish charm. "Yeah, but I really don't think I'd look as good in that orange tank top and white pants that make your butt so cute."

"Aaah!" Sarah gave him a playful slap and kissed him on the cheek. No matter how many times he complimented her, it always felt sincere. She knew she was attractive, although she never acted arrogant about it or flaunted it outside of work-related purposes. As a result, she never seemed to tire of the compliments she got, especially from him. The longer she was with Chuck, the more she knew finally admitting her feelings to him was the right thing to do.

Chuck slowly approached Jimmy at the bar with Sarah standing just behind him. Jimmy spotted them with a slight look of disappointment.

"I figured you'd bring a whole SWAT team or something. Knockout darts, some special gadgets. They got someone like "Q" at the CIA?" Jimmy asked, his demeanor very low-key.

"No no. We just want to see how you're feeling. Uh, Bartender?" Chuck motioned for the bartender to get Jimmy another drink.

"Nah, it's OK. I got this." He handed the bartender $30. "Get them whatever they want."

Jimmy turned back to Chuck and Sarah. "I have a thing about people buying me drinks. Besides, call it a peace offering for yesterday."

Chuck ordered a scotch on the rocks, and Sarah asked for a glass of wine. The bartender brought the drinks. He gave Jimmy $9 worth of change, which Jimmy promptly pushed back as a tip. The bartender smiled and thanked him.

Chuck was impressed by Jimmy generosity. "That's quite a tip for three drinks. For someone who has gone through what you have, I'm a little surprised you treat strangers so well."

"It's the only way I can get decent service. So, if you're not here to take me in, why are you here?"

"We just wanted to talk to you." Chuck suddenly came up with a good icebreaker. "I noticed on your hotel reservation that you used the name Tom Kazansky. I just had to ask about it."

"People use aliases on business all the time for security reasons. What's so unusual?"

"I meant the name you used. Tom Kazansky? Iceman? Really?"

Jimmy was silent for a second. A smile then spread across his face. "Would you have any respect for me if I used Pete Mitchell? I mean, a guy naming himself after Tom Cruise characters?"

Chuck and Jimmy shared a laugh. Sarah had a smile on her face, but it was because Chuck may have found a way to reach Jimmy. The three moved to a nearby table.

"Were any of you other aliases like that?" Chuck asked him.

Sarah saw Jimmy's posture relax. "Well, in all honesty, I did use Joel Goodson for a lot of years. I mean, that's one guy you'd like to be if you could, huh? Impress your friends by getting them laid? Make love on an "L" train with Rebecca De Mornay?"

Chuck smiled. "How true. Only sex scenes in a movie where I actually thought more nudity would have ruined it. It was all shadows."

"Yeah, you're right. Of course…nothing beats Phoebe Cates."

"Oh! _Fast_ _Times at Ridgemont High_! The pool scene? That red bikini?"

Jimmy's smile widened. "I CANNOT hear _Moving in Stereo_ by The Cars without thinking of her!"

Sarah started looking at both of them oddly. How did she become the third wheel all of a sudden? "Uh, excuse me here…"

Jimmy put up a reassuring hand. "Hey, nothing to be worried about. Every guy in Generation X and most of Y loved that scene." He looked at her and then turned to Chuck. "Hell, she could have pulled that scene off EASILY."

"Oh, I know!"

Chuck suddenly realized he was talking about his girlfriend in a non-gentlemanly way in her presence. He quickly changed topics.

"So, uh, where do you plan to go after you're done here?"

Jimmy's guard went back up in an instant. "Why? Do you intend to come after me? I can't believe the CIA is that interested in someone who secrets are limited to a time when Michael Jackson was still black and O.J. was only known for making funny movies with Leslie Nielsen."

"Jimmy, it's not that," Sarah replied. "We're worried that some group might have an interest in you and try to use you for their own means, like terrorist organizations or non-friendly governments. And being on the run for 20 years doesn't mean you're not valuable."

The bitterness began to fill Jimmy's words. "Oh, yeah. I was quite the valuable piece of meat to them back in the day. Hell, I got treated better by the co-eds who used to throw drinks in my face at C.O. Daniel's. And that was just for sitting in the bar. But at least there I could get some booze. You'll have to forgive me for not having a whole lot of trust for the government."

It was Chuck's turn to be encouraging. "Wait. Sarah and Casey have protected me for over 2 years now. Sometimes I couldn't trust what the government did, but I could always trust them to be there for me."

"Nice line, Chuck," Jimmy retorted, his reply dripping with sarcasm. "Not like you got that from a sitcom or anything. Now if you two will excuse me, I'd like to go back out into the cold."

Before Chuck can say anything else, Sarah stopped him. "It's OK. We can go, Chuck."

Chuck and Sarah got up from the table and depart the bar. Jimmy watched them leave with an angry scowl on his face. He didn't notice two women enter the bar and sit at a table near the exit. Both women were fairly tall, mid-20's, and had typical California girl looks. The brunette ordered drinks from the server while the redhead kept an eye on Jimmy without drawing attention to herself.

_**Hotel Lobby  
**__**October 14, 2009  
**__**5:50 PM**_

Chuck and Sarah headed back to Casey's car. Chuck was still surprised Sarah ended the conversation. "Sarah, why did we just let him go? We could have kept talking. It might have led somewhere."

"No, you were right in the first place. That's a lot of anger on his part. His whole life has been affected by this, and it will take a lot to bring him in."

"Then what do we do?"

"We can track him. I slipped a bug in his briefcase while you two were talking about Phoebe Cates."

Chuck painfully remembered his gaffe. "Yeah, about that. I'm really sorry…"

Sarah cut him off. "It's OK. I've seen the movie. It's actually a nice confidence booster to think I can pull off that bikini."

"Well, in all fairness, Phoebe…" Chuck stopped himself before the evil glare from Sarah put him on the couch for the night. "Yeah, you totally can. Way hotter than Phoebe Cates. Really."

_**Hotel Sports Bar  
**__**October 14, 2009  
**__**5:55 PM**_

_Dammit_! He did it twice in a row now.

Jimmy was even more upset with himself. How many times was he going to treat them like that? This time, the conversation wasn't even about being an Intersect. Chuck seemed like he really wanted to talk to him. Jimmy relaxed for the first time in a long time when talking about 80's movies with Chuck. Then he had to go right back to not trusting them. Maybe they were genuinely concerned about him. Granted, they would have been the first people in history to be concerned about him, but it had to happen eventually, didn't it? Jimmy started to rise.

Then he noticed his briefcase wasn't in the same location it was before.

He was a little confused so he searched through the briefcase. Along the interior stitching, he felt a small disc and pulled it out. It looked like some sort of tracking marker. Perhaps his initial assessment was right. He had a hard time believing Chuck and Sarah thought he was that stupid. He placed the bug on the table and smashed it with his empty glass.

"_Sláinte_!" Jimmy intoned, giving the bug the Gaelic word for "cheers" with a bit of anger behind it.

The two women from the other end of the bar approached him. The brunette smiled at Jimmy, and his guard was already up.

"Hi there. Mind if we sit with you?"

Jimmy kept his voice calm and non-committal. "If you like. Bartender!" Jimmy signaled to get the ladies some drinks. Generous tipping paid off again. The ladies took a seat, Jimmy rising out his seat from old manners he still couldn't kick.

"Wow. Friendly and generous. Very rare qualities to be found in this town," the redhead replied.

"Thank you. And you are?"

"I'm Barbara, and this is Carol," the brunette introduced the pair.

"So, what brings you to my table?"

Carol provided the 'answer'. "Well, we're heading out to a club later on tonight, and I gotta be honest. We need someone to be with us so those sleazy club guys don't come near us. Could you be our date tonight?"

Carol hit him with an impressive "come hither" look in her eyes. Jimmy smiled, but not for the reasons the two ladies thought. This was some primo, high-quality BS these women were shoveling. Unfortunately, what Sarah told him earlier had just been proven correct. Someone was after him. He wasn't really sure why, or even how, these two would know about him. The only thing to do was play along. He tried to remain suave.

_Think James Bond, just think James Bond. Ocean's 11, Swingers, just play it cool. Pretend you're money. Be Trent, not Mikey._

"Hmmm, that's quite the quandary. But I suppose I have some time in my schedule, as my flight isn't until tomorrow morning."

"Mmmm, that's very sweet of you," Barbara cooed. "Of course, we won't be going for a few hours, so is there anything you wanted to do in the meantime?"

"Well, I can think of a few things." Both ladies giggled at that line. "If we have some time, why don't we head up to my hotel room and relax a while. The minibar gets paid for by my company, anyway."

"Sounds perfect. Let's go, sweetie," Carol said.

The three rose and headed out of the bar. Jimmy grabbed his briefcase. He walked behind him so that they didn't see him reach for his knife. He kept it hidden in his sleeve. As they exited the bar, Jimmy noticed a man sitting at a table and reading a copy of the _Los Angeles Times_. Jimmy flashed. He saw a picture of the man in Marine attire and then several people lying dead, presumably killed by him. The pain knocked him off-balance. The ladies turned to look.

"Whoops. Not used to the hard stuff, I guess." Jimmy tried to put on a good act as he recovered from his stumble.

_**Hotel Driveway  
**__**October 14, 2009  
**__**6:00 PM**_

Chuck and Sarah made their way to Casey's car.

"Is the bug tracking him?" Sarah asked Casey.

"I doubt it. I lost the signal three minutes after it went on. It never moved. Slade must have found it and destroyed it."

Chuck had a look of worry. "Oh, no. He could have slipped out the back."

Sarah sprung into action. "Casey, we'll go back into the hotel. You drive around the perimeter of the hotel in case he did slip out."

"Got it." Casey drove off, and Chuck and Sarah returned to the lobby.

_**Hotel Lobby  
**__**October 14, 2009  
**__**6:02 PM**_

Barbara and Carol walked toward the elevators with Jimmy just behind them. He had a look of worry on his face because he smashed the bug and now needed help. If it was just the two women acting alone, he might have been able to get out of it. But a third person was watching him as well. There seemed to be a plan in place to capture him.

He looked behind him and spotted Chuck and Sarah reentering the lobby. He suddenly had an idea. He began swaying back and forth as if he was hammered.

"Whoah! Now THERE'S a fantasy. Brunette, Redhead, AND a Blonde! Baby, you gotta come up with us." He drunkenly tossed a keycard towards Sarah. "Room 644, gorgeous! Bring your friend, too! I bet he never had a fivesome!"

Barbara turned around and started pulling him back. "C'mon, baby. Three's company, Five's just a porno movie."

Jimmy continued to act inebriated. "Aaah, it'll be fun. Lots of booze and condoms up there!"

Carol grabbed Jimmy's other arm and pulled him along with Barbara. Chuck got a good look at both ladies. He flashed on them, both of whom were ex-NSA assassins. They came up on a list of known members of The Ring.

Chuck started to panic and looked around the lobby. He flashed in a similar method on 6 other people milling about the lobby area.

"Sarah, there are Ring agents everywhere, including those two women," he nervously whispered.

"We have a big problem." Sarah tried to remain calm, but her worry was escalating quickly.

"How the hell can Jimmy fall for something like that?"

"He didn't buy me flirting with him. He sure as hell wouldn't buy two women wanting to take him up to his room." She grabbed the keycard Jimmy threw. "He needs our help. Come on."

Chuck and Sarah followed behind the threesome slowly so as not to attract the attention of the other agents. However, they were not fooled. They followed Chuck and Sarah from a distance.

_**Room 644  
**__**October 14, 2009  
**__**6:05 PM**_

Jimmy, Barbara, and Carol made their way to Jimmy's hotel suite. He pretended to still be drunk while trying to open the door.

"Plenty of stuff at the bar, ladies. Feel free to help yourself. I'll be right back."

They walked in, and Jimmy turned down the short hall to his bedroom. He could feel the two women following him. He approached the bed and started to reach under the sheets for the guns he put there, but the two women already had their guns out directly behind him. He heard each of their guns cock.

He shook his head. "Well, I knew about you two. And obviously you knew I knew about you two."

Chuck and Sarah moved in behind the two ladies. Sarah cocked her gun.

Jimmy was smiling. "But did you know that I knew that you knew I knew about you two?"

Behind Chuck and Sarah, two Ring agents appeared with their guns drawn. Jimmy was no longer smiling.

"You knew."


	4. Mad Skills

_**Room 644  
October 14, 2009  
6:05 PM**_

_Well, this sucks_, he thought.

This wasn't the first time Jimmy had a gun pointed at him. In the long list of jobs he had to take to makes ends meet over the years, he was relegated to taking work where they didn't ask you too many questions about your background. Spending two years as a bouncer at a popular Austin, Texas bar led to quite a few interesting nights, particularly when the Longhorns lost a football game. Things weren't much better in Miami when he ran security for strippers at bachelor parties. There was always some drunken prick who wanted to take you on or go too far with one of the ladies. He was shot once when the bar he worked at in Kansas City was robbed.

However, this situation was much different. He didn't really control the environment, unlike those prior situations. Not to mention having two other people there he didn't want to see put in harm's way, regardless of the fact they wouldn't leave him alone. But he was not the expert in these scenarios. It was probably better for Sarah to make the call.

"Uh, Sarah? I should probably defer to your judgment in a situation like this."

Sarah looked at Chuck, whose eyes stopped fluttering after the flash he had. He nodded at smiled. Both gave a spinning back kick to the two agents behind them, knocking both of them down. Barbara and Carol turned their guns on them. Jimmy dove at the bed and kicked his legs up and back, knocking the two ladies down. Chuck and Sarah were taken by surprise. Jimmy turned to see the two agents Sarah and Chuck took out get up again.

"Behind you!" Jimmy shouted.

He stepped quickly to the agent behind Sarah and landed a haymaker on him. The man went down again. Chuck spun in time to take out the agent behind him again with a jab. Behind them, Barbara and Carol had gotten up and retrieved their weapons. Sarah pushed herself into the air using the shoulders of Chuck and Jimmy to kick out their guns. She then leaped forward and landed, delivering a punch to each of the women.

Behind Jimmy, an agent got up and connected with his chin. It was the wrong decision. Jimmy's head snapped back, but the rest of him didn't move. Suddenly, Jimmy had a wide-eyed look of rage. He landed two shots to the gut and then a roundhouse to the agent. This time, the agent stayed down. The man behind Chuck tried one last time, but before he could react, Jimmy had already grabbed him. He threw him across the room, where the agent's head collided the wall behind the bed, smashing the mirror in the process. The man fell onto the bed, completely knocked out.

Jimmy turned towards Chuck and Sarah breathing heavily, the look of rage still in his eyes. Chuck and Sarah took a step back, still shocked at what they just witnessed. Jimmy's breathing slowed and his look eventually calmed. It even turned a bit sheepish.

"Sometimes...I...have issues with anger," he meekly confessed.

"Yeah, so did Bruce Banner," Chuck replied in wide-eyed amazement.

Sarah brought everyone back to reality. "Let's get out of here."

Jimmy went to the bed and retrieved the two Glock G17 9mm handguns under the covers. He put them behind his back and stashed two extra clips in his pockets. He went to the door and opened it. Gunshots went off, and Jimmy dove back into the room, pulling Chuck and Sarah down with him out of the line of fire. Outside in the hallway, four Ring agents fired towards the room.

"OK, this might be a little tough," Jimmy understated.

"Casey, we have more agents up here," Sarah spoke into her watch. "We're pinned down. We need backup!"

"Does anybody have any ideas?" Chuck asked quickly.

Jimmy recalled something he saw in the hall near the agents. "One."

He crawled to the edge of the door and took a peek. He spotted a fire extinguisher near the agents. He fired a shot, and it exploded, blinding the agents. He rolled out into the corridor, pulled both guns out, and emptied both clips towards the agents. All four agents were killed.

Jimmy slowly got up, ejected the empty clips from both guns, and calmly reloaded. Chuck and Sarah joined him in the hall. Sarah looked at Jimmy in annoyance.

"You give me crap about my gun and you carry those things?"

Jimmy shot her an evil glare. "I outweigh you by 300 pounds. I could stash a Howitzer on me if I had to."

The three headed down the hall towards the elevator, passing by the four bodies now mixed with blood and fire extinguisher foam.

"Eww, not pretty, not pretty," Chuck said as Sarah and Jimmy pull him towards the elevator. Sarah pressed the DOWN button. The elevator opened up with a dozen people inside. All of them were Ring agents, and all of them pulled their guns.

"RUN!"

Sarah's shout was followed by a roundhouse kick to the closest agent, who staggered back into the elevator and knocked other agents off-balance.

Chuck spotted the door to the stairs. "This way!"

Chuck pushed open the door. Jimmy grabbed Sarah and pulled her towards the stairwell door. He then pushed both of them through the door and stuck his hand out the doorframe to fire at the oncoming agents. One went down while the others dove out of the way. Chuck and Sarah charged up the stairs, as two agents were waiting in the stairwell below to block them. Jimmy ran up the stairs at a slower clip. The agents bounded up the stairs in pursuit. Jimmy fired down the stairwell to slow their progress as he ascended.

_**Hotel Roof  
October 14, 2009  
6:10 PM**_

Chuck and Sarah threw open the door to the roof. They covered their eyes as they looked into the setting sun. The only viable cover was a divider between sections of the building. They went to hide behind it. Jimmy emerged on the roof as well and ran to the same hiding location. Sarah crouched down with Jimmy covering her. Both of them had their guns drawn. He struggled to catch his breath.

"OK, you were right. Someone is definitely interested in me. But what good would I do anybody?"

"Well, that's the thing about the Intersect," Chuck replied. "Only a few people can handle it. The person is as important as the computer."

"Me going insane at a bunch of pictures is helpful?"

"I don't think that part of it concerns them."

Several agents emerged from the door but couldn't see them due to the setting sun in their eyes. Sarah and Jimmy kept their guns pointed at them.

Casey emerged from the elevator on the sixth floor. He took two steps from the elevator and dove to the floor as a shot rang out. He moved behind the wall divider, identifying 3 agents in the hall. He looked back, hoping to retreat into the elevator, but it had already gone back down. He couldn't get to the stairwell without walking into the line of fire.

He spoke into his watch. "Walker, I'm pinned down on the sixth floor. What's your 20?"

Sarah heard Casey's message on her earpiece. "We're on the roof, agents are up here," she whispered to avoid drawing attention.

Casey had to shout his response over the crossfire. "The car is on the back dock if you can get there. Get Bartowski and Slade out of the hotel. Don't try to come back for me!"

Two agents ran towards Chuck, Sarah, and Jimmy, zoning in on the conversation. Jimmy fired away, killing both.

"I think Casey's in more trouble than we are," Sarah said.

"Then that's pretty bad," Jimmy replied. "We won't last much longer up here."

Chuck frantically looked around for an alternative. He saw another door on the roof. It was 15 yards away, near the edge of the roof. A long rope and a bucket sat near it.

"Maybe we can get to that other door."

Sarah fired at another oncoming agent and spotted the door Chuck discovered.

"OK, get ready to run. I'll lay down some cover fire."

"Are you nuts?" Jimmy protested. "We're not leaving you…"

"DO IT! On three! One! Two! Three!"

Sarah got out of her crouch and fired away at the agents. Jimmy grabbed Chuck, and they rushed for the other door. Jimmy fired behind him as they ran. Sarah continued firing until she emptied her clip. She then risked it and ran for the door. Jimmy continued to fire and run, hitting two agents in the process. He ran out of ammunition, but it was enough to clear Sarah's path to them. Chuck sprinted towards the door…just in time to see two more agents emerge from it.

"Look out!"

Jimmy turned around and saw the agents as Sarah, in full sprint, caught up to Chuck and Jimmy. Jimmy spotted the rope and improvised.

"Grab on to me!"

Jimmy reached for the rope in full gallop. Chuck leaped on to his right side, and Sarah jumped on his left side. Jimmy wrapped the rope around both wrists, reached the edge of the roof and jumped off. Chuck, in spite of having an upgraded Intersect, still let out a girlish scream as they plummeted.

"Cover up!" Jimmy warned.

Chuck and Sarah covered their faces behind Jimmy's head as the rope snapped them toward a large window four floors down in the hotel. Jimmy put both feet up, shut his eyes, and kicked hard. Their momentum and his kick were enough to shatter the window, and they fell inside onto a hotel room floor. Chuck and Sarah land on their sides, Jimmy straight on his back. Glass from the window fell on all of them, mostly Jimmy.

Jimmy growled from the pain. "That...was...stupid."

Sarah, being in the best shape of the three by a landslide, bounced up. The concern was evident on her. "Are you two OK?"

Chuck got up, although not as quickly. "Yeah, I'm fine. You think I wouldn't scream anymore given how many times I've fallen off of a building."

Jimmy was still lying on the floor in a daze. "Ugh, I think I wasted a few more of my nine lives on that one."

Sarah was getting impatient. "Come on. We have to get out of here." She grabbed Jimmy's arm and pulled him up with Chuck's help. Jimmy staggered a bit but righted himself.

"What about Casey?" Jimmy inquired, still trying to shake out the cobwebs.

"We need to get the two of you out of here. He said specifically not to come get him."

"Yeah, and how many times have we ever listened to that?" Chuck asked.

Jimmy spoke up. "Chuck's right. We have to go get him."

"No, I'LL go get him," Sarah countered. "You two get to the car."

"And how do you plan to do that, Wonder Woman? You're out of ammo."

Sarah gave him a slightly mocking look. "I'll just do what you'd do: something stupid."

Jimmy rolled his eyes and turned to Chuck. "Women. Can't live with them…let's get out of here."

The three headed to the door. In the hall, Sarah looked for a stairwell to locate Casey while Chuck and Jimmy found the elevator.

Chuck still had doubts about Sarah going for Casey alone. "I think we should have stayed with her."

"She'll be fine," Jimmy reassured him. "She's probably in better shape than we are right now. Besides, she's right about not risking us any further. If they're that interested in me, imagine how much they'd love you. You're filet mignon to them, I'm just beef jerky."

"What are you taking about? None of us would have been that brave like you were. You just saved our lives, like, four or five times in the last five minutes. Nobody leaps off a roof to save someone!"

"No, both of you would have. I was just saving you the trouble of having to carry my fat ass."

Chuck and Jimmy found the elevator. They got in and headed down.

"I just hope they don't know what we're doing," Jimmy said.

The elevator opened up in the Lobby. Six agents were standing by the doors waiting for them. Chuck looked at them in shock.

"OK, you were right. Sarah's in much better shape right now."

_**Sixth**__** Floor Hallway  
October 14, 2009  
6:17 PM**_

Pure, dumb, frickin' luck.

By all rights, Chuck, Sarah, and Casey should have been dead right now. You don't walk into a hornet's nest of enemy agents like that and survive. There was really nothing they could have done differently. Calling for more backup would not have helped. By the time help had arrived, the team would have been captured or killed. Perhaps Chuck should have stayed in the car, but he had been able to defend himself over the last six months since receiving the new Intersect. She thought numbers would help her rescue Jimmy against those four agents.

What Jimmy did still left her in shock.

She wasn't sure if Jimmy could take care of himself. Although given he had stayed off the radar for twenty years, he had to be very smart at the minimum. She didn't expect him to take out all four agents almost single-handedly. Chuck and she might have gotten the ball rolling, but Jimmy really did the cleanup.

As it turned out, he was only operating in first gear in his hotel room.

In a span of 24 hours, he had gone from potentially dangerous to angst-ridden Intersect to Indiana Jones. Not a single thing in his file indicated he would do everything he just did over the last fifteen minutes. But now this mission had become far more complicated. They would have to discuss the situation with Beckman and see if any solutions could be achieved.

First, there was the little matter of rescuing Casey.

Casey was still pinned down, as four agents were now shooting at him. He was almost out of ammunition. Behind the agents, Sarah emerged from the stairwell. She sneaked quietly down the hall. Casey spotted her and nodded. He backed out and hid so not to accidentally shoot her. She closed the distance, ran, leaped, and landed a flying kick to the back of one of the agents, who promptly went down. The other three turned to shoot, but she already had the upper hand, kicking the guns from two of them. She landed a flurry of punches on two of them, knocking them out. The third trained his gun on her.

A shot rang out, and the agent fell.

Casey emerged with his gun still aimed at the fallen agent. "Where are Bartowski and Slade?"

"They're heading for the car," Sarah quickly replied.

Casey was a little upset. "And what about NOT coming back for me?"

Sarah had to restrain herself from smacking him upside the head. "You're welcome. Now shut up and let's go."

_**Hotel Lobby  
October 14, 2009  
6:17 PM**_

Jimmy was getting tired of this. He had gone from twenty years of nobody giving a damn about him to being the most popular man in Los Angeles in the span of the last thirty minutes…and not in a good way. Worst of all, he still didn't understand why all of it was happening. It was only by Chuck and Sarah's intervention...along with one or two assists by him...that he was still alive.

"We've been looking for you…Mr. Slade," the lead agent spoke in a tone of confidence and menace. "We're a bit surprised you popped back up on the radar. A fortunate happenstance for us."

Jimmy was having a chilling flashback to that day in Champaign. But jumping out of a stadium was not an option this time. He looked towards Chuck, whose eyes were fluttering. Jimmy knew what that meant, given what happened in his room a few minutes ago.

"Would you agree that going with them would be a bad thing?" he asked Chuck.

Chuck agreed. "Time to do something."

Chuck landed a kick right at the chin of the lead agent, knocking him down. Jimmy took the opportunity to launch at the agents closest to him, tackling two to the ground and landing hard jabs at both to keep them there. Chuck landed a chop at the throat of another agent, making him stagger back. He connected with a spinning back kick to the agent's face to take him out. Jimmy got up, but Chuck already was taking care of the remaining two agents. He landed punches on each and spin-kicked one of them towards Jimmy, who easily took him out with a roundhouse. Chuck landed a kick to the chest of the last agent, who went flying into the wall.

Jimmy could only stare in amazement. "Just out of curiosity, what do you analyze? Jackie Chan movies?"

"Well, I picked up a thing or two recently," Chuck demurred about his new upgrade.

"Uh, yeah. I'll tell Morpheus and Trinity you said Hi."

Chuck and Jimmy made their way to the back of the hotel. They found the dock, where Sarah and Casey were waiting. They got in the car and sped off.

"What took you two so long?" Casey demanded.

"We didn't exactly get away scot-free there," Chuck replied.

Sarah cut the conversation before it got going. "We got out of there intact. That's what's important."

Jimmy was still trying to process everything that has happened, not only with being attacked but how they escaped.

"Clearly you people have some skills there. I mean, Sarah, you've got speed and agility, I've got strength and lots of bottled up hostility, and Chuck...obviously saw a few too many Bruce Lee movies as a kid. But who the hell were they?"

Chuck turned to him. "They're part of a secret organization, The Ring, a group of anti-government agents. But how could they know about you so quickly?"

"Wait a second. Casey, how did you get all of the information in that file you had?"

"General Beckman had some of her analysts dig in, and they found the files at Fort Meade. You were redacted back in early 1993, just after the new administration came in. They may not have found it worth the time to add your information to the computers when they upgraded over the next two years."

Sarah drew the only conclusion that would explain The Ring showing up barely 48 hours after Chuck's initial flash. "So somebody in The Ring must have gotten a copy of those files before they got sent out here."

"So, so wait." Chuck's level of nervousness was beginning to rise. "Someone on General Beckman's staff is a double agent? How can we trust anything that comes from her?"

"We can't. It's better to stay under cover until we know who did it. Chuck…" Sarah handed Chuck a blindfold.

Jimmy was perplexed. "What? What's going on?"

Chuck looked to Jimmy with a bit of sympathy. "Jimmy, I'm sorry, but I think you're going to have to trust us. Usually, I'm not a fan of tranquing someone, so…"

Jimmy looked at all three of them. So much in the last 48 hours remained a mystery to him. The only thing he knew for certain was that he was in over his head. He needed help, and for once, someone was willing to provide it. If he had to play by the rules, well, that certainly beat trying to take on what looked like a large and well-organized group that didn't exactly want him to explain what a crosstab query was.

He took the blindfold. "OK. Besides, it's a bitch finding a forklift to carry me on such short notice."

He noted the very annoyed expression on Sarah's face as he pulled the blindfold over his eyes. Clearly, she was not a fan of his one-liners. Well, not all of them were good.

_**Buy More  
October 14, 2009  
6:10 PM**_

Emmett had the Buy Morons lined up again. His pace was a little quicker than usual.

"People! We sold 15 laptops yesterday. However! We only have the credit card information for 10 of them. Someone stole the credit card information for the other 5! Identity theft is a SERIOUS crime, and I intend to take this investigation seriously. The person or persons who are responsible will be turned over to the police! And anyone with any information regarding this will be fired for withholding it. DISMISSED!"

The group broke up. Big Mike, Jeff, Lester, and Anna stood together. Lester couldn't understand what happened.

"This is serious. Who would do such a thing?"

"Not necessary for me," Jeff replied. "I have information on a few people that keeps me financially stable already."

The group eyed Jeff warily and were more creeped out than they normally were about him.

"Emmett's going to drive us all insane with this," Anna lamented.

Big Mike echoed what everybody was thinking.

"Nothing would give me greater pleasure than seeing that pompous little weenie get in trouble from corporate over this. But you just know that's not going to happen."

Jeff, Lester, and Anna bristled at the thought, but they reluctantly agreed with Big Mike.

_**Castle Underground Facility  
October 14, 2009  
7:00 PM**_

Chuck and Sarah guided Jimmy into Castle while Casey set up a secure link to General Beckman's office. Sarah took off Jimmy's blindfold. He took a look around Castle.

"Standard CIA holding facility and strategy center. AT-7 servers with networks running at over 500 Mbps? Secure links to Interpol, the FBI, MI-6, Mossad, Russian FSB, I gather?"

Chuck was both impressed and amused. "And 250 channels on the DirecTV satellite package, INCLUDING NFL Sunday Ticket."

"Good. At least I can catch a Bears game while I rot away in here," Jimmy grumbled.

"Relax, you're not staying here," Sarah replied. "This is just temporary until we find out what's wrong."

"And how do we accomplish this?" Chuck asked with a bit of concern.

Casey was busily typing away at the computer. "Way ahead of you, Bartowski. I'm setting up a private message link with General Beckman."

Casey typed in a few commands.

CASEY: _How do you like your pizza?  
_BECKMAN: _Sausage, Pepperoni, and onion.  
_CASEY: _Would you like some olives?  
_BECKMAN: _No olives of any kind._

"OK, she's alone and the line is secure."

CASEY: _Cheesecake_ _past its prime. See if there are any new pets at the store._

Casey disconnected the link. Chuck was wondering what Casey just typed. "I gather that was all code. Either that, or you're just trying to make us hungry. Which is working, by the way."

"I told her the data she sent was compromised and do an investigation quietly about anybody who handled it."

"Will that work?" Jimmy asked.

"Hopefully," Sarah replied. "But until then, we can't let you out of our sight. I have to believe The Ring will try to take another shot."

Jimmy slowly stood with a dejected look on his face. "Guess I'll go check out whatever cot is set up in here." He walked into the other room to find it.

Casey checked the video surveillance of Zork. Morgan was still at the front desk.

"I'll go upstairs and tell Morgan to order some food for us. Pretend we have a late night of upgrading to do. He's probably been waiting for you, although I'm sure he's figured out how to pass the time."

Casey headed to Zork, leaving Chuck and Sarah alone in the main room.

Jimmy located a cot inside one of the holding cells. The cell was currently open and unoccupied. He thought it rather ironic he spent the last twenty years trying not to get caught, only to walk into a holding cell voluntarily. He tested the cot to see if it could handle his weight. He carefully settled in. He thought he was exhausted, but his mind kept thinking about what had happened in the last two days.

He had spent the better part of twenty years just trying to pick up the pieces of his life. Granted, he didn't have the responsibilities of marriage, parenthood, or providing for anyone else, but somehow he thought those were things he could have handled if he was given the chance. Life decided otherwise. He was three years out of college when his father died of a heart attack. But by then, the rift between them was so great, he only went to the funeral because he was the only one available to arrange it. Since then, he had been alone on a planet of six billion people. Really, the training he did was akin to being an actor on stage. People liked the character the person played, not the person themselves. He didn't actually know anybody. Work associates were just that…work associates. They were cordial enough to him on the job and vice versa. But everybody had their own lives to go to at the end of the day…or night, depending on the job.

Suddenly, he teaches a class in suburban Los Angeles, and his life was again turned upside-down. He thought he made peace with his past a long time ago, even if he couldn't bring himself to lose the anger and hatred. He couldn't change the past, but at least the Intersect in his mind flashed on fewer items as time went on. He just wanted to move on to the next class and survive like everybody else. But all of his past came back in an aggressive wave for which he wasn't prepared. He simply wanted control of his life again; something that was taken away from him long ago. What happened today was not what he wanted. It wasn't even something that he hoped for.

Would the three out there help him? He was still amazed they were able to escape all of those enemy agents. The cop-looking one looked so uptight, he probably hadn't gotten any in decades. But as by-the-book as he was, Jimmy conceded he was also the type of person you'd like to have with you when the pressure was on. The other two...they made a cute couple, even in Jimmy's jaded view of the world...showed concern for him nobody else had. To be sure, they were willing to do whatever it took to protect him. Jimmy never met anyone who was simultaneously hell on wheels and insanely hot like Sarah was, although one or two of the lady bartenders in Austin certainly came close. And under that off-kilter personality, Chuck acted like someone who was beyond faithful to the people close to him. It was hard to think ill of anyone who could take down a half-dozen bad guys one minute and quote every line from _Star Trek_ the next.

Jimmy wasn't much for asking people to help him...or be with him, for that matter. In reality, he just wanted to forget he ever existed. He was too used to being alone, having lived that way for 30 of his 39 years, even when living at home as a kid. He didn't know how to deal with others. But after an initially bumpy introduction, the three people out there seemed to accept him at face value. Maybe that was a good thing. Perhaps they had a plan for how to help him with this new and seemingly hazardous situation.

Jimmy put those thoughts on the back burner as exhaustion finally won out. He fell asleep on the cot.

Sarah finished entering some information into one of the computers. She stretched and then walked to the small refrigerator at the back of the facility. Retrieving a small bottle of water, she walked back to Chuck. She noticed the very same look he had on his face the previous night when they discussed how to approach Jimmy. No doubt Chuck was exhausted from the events of the last two hours; she was feeling a tinge of post-traumatic stress herself. Although she had the training of the CIA to help her, jumping off of a building was not exactly something that showed up on the final exam. She could certainly understand Chuck's expression and low-key energy right now.

She sat down next to him, gently rubbing the back of his neck in that way he liked.

"Are you OK?"

"Oh, just thinking, I guess. I remember how many times I almost had to go underground, or to some bunker because things got a little crazy. I still get a horrible chill down my spine when I think of when they were going to take me right after they found all those bugs in the Buy More. But now that I'm seeing what might happen to Jimmy, I realize how horrible that would have been. Maybe this new Intersect has some advantages. It lets you two be a little less protective. You don't have to worry as much."

A tiny smile came across Sarah's face. Chuck had that unending propensity for thinking of others' well-being first, especially hers. That was not something she had in her life before arriving in Burbank. Her father had left, her relationship with Bryce was a roller coaster of emotion, and she never allowed herself to let anyone else in. But that damn Nerd Herder sitting next to her got inside. He had that way about him that made you trust him…and yourself. You couldn't walk away from him without feeling better. If that wasn't enough, he genuinely loved her. She could see it in his eyes: that look that said he would do anything and everything for her because he considered himself the luckiest person in the world that she loved him as well.

But that new Intersect didn't mean she worried less. "Actually, Chuck, I think I worry about you even more now. The Intersect doesn't make you invincible. But you don't run away or cower from things anymore. In a way, I find it wonderful that you are more confident now than you ever have been. But it just means I'm more afraid of what might happen to you. Jimmy ran around today like he had nothing to lose. That's not a good way to live."

Chuck took her hands in his. "I could never do that. I always have it in my mind how much I do have in life. And I want to keep that."

Sarah met his gaze, looking deeply into those gentle brown eyes. She ran her fingers through his hair and pulled him close to her. Their eyes closed as their lips met.

**_Zork Computer Consultants  
October 14, 2009  
7:05 PM_**

Casey made his way to the front of the store. He noticed Morgan sleeping and assumed he was taking a nap.

"Grimes! Sleep on your own time."

From behind, a man in a suit tasered Casey. In that brief split-second, Casey realized Morgan was tasered as well. Casey fell unconscious. Two other people entered the office and carried Casey out. The man with the taser spoke to the unconscious Morgan.

"Not to worry. We'll lock up."

* * *

**_Hope you're enjoying the story. Please leave feedback and let me know if I should continue with the chapters. Tell me what's right, tell me what's wrong. Whatever you want. I hope to have the next chapter up soon. Take care!_**


	5. Well Outside the Box

_**Castle Underground Facility  
October 14, 2009  
7:45 PM**_

Chuck and Sarah had been together as a real couple for 6 months, and he still didn't know how she did that.

Sarah was napping on the same chair she had been for the last half-hour, using Chuck's shoulder as a pillow. It looked like such an uncomfortable position, and yet she was sleeping as if they were in their bed. He was a bit envious. No doubt she had times in her life where she went non-stop without sleep for days, possibly weeks. Maybe she was trained to sleep when given the chance, much like soldiers catching some shuteye in a muddy foxhole because the opportunity presented itself. He needed an actual bed; he couldn't even sleep on a plane going over an ocean.

It had been some time since they were part of a mission this intense. Even after that night in the Intersect room, where his life completely changed for the third time, things were fairly calm. Most of it was spent setting up the new cover, helping Ellie and Devon move into their new house, and getting used to the fact that there were no more secrets, no more pretending with Sarah. Most of the missions in the last 6 months had been fairly routine. Mostly it was just observing marks and obtaining sensitive information once in a while. Certainly nothing that required fancy disguises or staring down the barrel of a gun. Really, this mission was supposed to be like those; just observe and report on someone on whom Chuck flashed. S.O.P., right? The mission had become far more dangerous, and the reason for the mission had become far more interesting.

Chuck assumed Jimmy found a cot in one of the holding cells and was catching some Z's himself. Trying to figure out that 39 year-old mystery snoozing in the other room had occupied Chuck's thoughts for some time, ever since they managed to crash through the hotel window and eventually escape capture by The Ring. Jimmy didn't seem like the type who would do everything he did; Chuck was still surprised Jimmy didn't try to give them the slip. Yet everybody was safe, and Jimmy was the primary reason for it.

There was a quality in humans he still couldn't fully comprehend that made some run away from a fight while others charged in with no regard for themselves. To this day, he still didn't believe Sarah, and even Casey, when they tried to tell him he was in that second group. Maybe he was, but to him it felt simply like the right thing to do and not something that was extraordinary. He could trace his own qualities back to his family and how much they cared about others. Devon told him numerous times how lucky he was to fall in love with Ellie, and Sarah seemed to consider herself a fortunate woman to fall in love with him.

Some people were the way they were because of the people who made them. Jimmy appeared to be the way he was in spite of the people who made him. Jimmy's file certainly did not indicate a happy childhood. Schoolyards had been shot up for far less than what he had been through. Maybe that was the thing Sarah said she caught when she looked in Jimmy's eyes: someone trying not to show their past. Someone trying to be anything but who they really were. It was something the average person might not accept from someone. However, Chuck could sympathize with it, given Sarah remained reticent in revealing portions of her past. To her credit, she had gotten past the point where she impaled pictures of him with a pencil when he dared to inquire about her past. But she remained a very guarded individual. That was one of the things he learned to accept about her.

He wasn't sure what this mission would become, but his instincts told him there was so much more to the situation, and to Jimmy, than just a person with a checkered past.

Chuck's iPhone started to ring. He looked at it, noting Casey's name and picture on the Caller ID.

"Casey, did you remember the sizzling shrimp?"

A female voice, cold and foreboding, replied. "No, he won't be delivering dinner anytime soon. Don't talk. Very simple exchange. You want Casey, and we want Slade. InterContinental Hotel, Century City. One hour. If you fail, we kill Casey, find Slade ourselves and kill anybody trying to hide him." The caller hung up.

Chuck's posture stiffened when he heard the ultimatum. Sarah stirred and slowly woke up. She looked at him and noticed his anxious countenance.

"What's wrong?"

"The Ring has Casey. They want to exchange him for Jimmy, or they'll kill him and then come after us."

Sarah sat straight up. "We can't turn Jimmy over. That would give them an Intersect ready for upgrading. The secrets Jimmy probably knows now are valuable enough for them to kill us."

"Sarah, we can't leave Casey like that. And there's no way Jimmy would let anybody die for him this way."

"He doesn't even know about this!"

"I do now. And Chuck is right."

Chuck and Sarah turned towards the voice. Jimmy was in the hallway, leaning against the wall. His voice exuded calmness, even confidence, given the events of the day.

Sarah tried to plead logic. "Jimmy, you can't do this. They'll expect us to mount some kind of rescue. We can't risk you walking into a trap like that. It's insane."

A slight smile came across his face. "Well, we've both done some pretty insane things today. Are you up for doing one more? 'Cause I think it might be time for me to come in from the cold."

_You have to admire the guy, _Sarah thought. With everything that happened to them, Jimmy still wanted to come out of the corner for the next round. Half of Sarah wanted to shoot him, the other half wanted to give him a hug. And she still didn't consider herself the touchy-feely type, in spite of that damn Bartowski influence.

"I think I have one left in me for today. But nobody better be killed or captured."

"If I die, you are free to kill me."

Chuck rolled his eyes at that comment, hoping it really didn't come to that.

The three headed to the small armory in Castle. Sarah punched in the security code to open it. She took out her custom-made bullet-proof vest and strapped it around herself. She then handed Jimmy another vest. Jimmy looked at it quizzically and then tried it on. The Velcro straps on the sides didn't exactly reach far enough. He took it off.

"I guess the Kevlar collection hasn't come out yet at Omar the Tentmaker's store. Unfortunately, my shirt size has more X's in it than a porno flick."

"You're not going out there without a vest," Sarah replied with an icy gaze.

Jimmy looked at her for a moment before walking over to a cabinet on the other side of the room. Peeking through the drawers, he found what he needed. He put the vest back on and tore several strips from the roll of duct tape he found. He taped left side of the vest together. Chuck couldn't help but smile and went to assist him with the right side.

"They never had this on an episode of _Home Improvement_, did they," Chuck quipped.

"_Extreme Makeover: Fallujah Edition_?" Jimmy retorted.

Sarah shook her head. Shooting was leading hugging in early poll results. The three headed upstairs to the Orange Orange.

_**Unknown Location  
October 14, 2009  
8:00 PM**_

Casey sat in a chair in the middle of a darkened room with his wrists handcuffed. Someone poured a bottle of water on him and slapped him a few times to bring him to consciousness.

A female voice could be heard from the dark. "Colonel Casey, congratulations on your promotion. Up until today, I'd certainly say you earned it."

"Cut the crap," Casey's voice rang out with derisiveness. "If you know that much about me, then you know you won't get any information out of me."

"We know that. You are merely a bargaining chip for our purposes. Fortunately for us, your partners have a little more humanity in them than you. As for Mr. Slade, he may have lot of time on the run, but he doesn't have the balls to let another human die because of something he did."

_**Casey's Car  
October 14, 2009  
8:30 PM**_

Chuck, Sarah, and Jimmy were en route to the hotel. Jimmy was driving, Sarah was readying weapons in the passenger seat, and Chuck was in the back testing communications hardware. He handed each of them an earpiece. Chuck reviewed his role.

"OK, I'll find the security office in the hotel, get the security people out, and then keep an eye on things. I'll be able to tell you right away who's who."

"Sounds like a plan," Jimmy replied. "And if things go bad?"

"I know, hit the panic button."

"No," Sarah corrected him. "Hit the panic button AND get out of there. Don't make any attempt to come after us if we get in trouble. We can't afford for The Ring to find you."

"OK, you're right." Chuck had been through enough arguments with her to know when to just agree with her.

Sarah turned to Jimmy. "Are you sure you're ready for this?"

Jimmy shrugged. "Hey, we all gotta die sometime."

It was not the response Sarah wanted to hear. She was out of patience. "Are you going to get it through your head at some point that you are a valuable individual with a lot to live for, even without that Intersect inside of you?"

Jimmy shot her a look. "Clearly you don't have a file on my social life. Or lack thereof."

Sarah made a mental note to chew him out later. She also reminded herself not to be armed when she did it. Killing an asset required a lot of paperwork.

_**InterContinental Hotel  
October 14, 2009  
8:45 PM**_

Chuck, Sarah, and Jimmy arrived at the hotel. They split up at the lobby. Sarah and Jimmy walked toward the ballrooms, while Chuck located the security office. Jimmy noticed Sarah walking with a rather brisk pace compared to earlier in the day. Her eyes were focused straight ahead, and it took Jimmy some effort to keep up with her, although he had to admit speed was a definite liability for him. Was it nerves? He found that a bit hard to believe of a veteran CIA agent. Perhaps concern for her partner? That would seem more likely. From what he could gather, Sarah and Casey had worked together for some time with Chuck, presumably protecting him and/or making use of his 'talents' in their casework. Jimmy had no working knowledge of long-term relationships with people, but he guessed that you started caring about people if you worked with them long enough. And this was a job where they trusted each other with their very lives.

What felt odder was that he wasn't nervous. He thought he would be shaking more than someone who downed the entire contents of a Starbucks. Certainly he was concerned for Casey; he was the one who helped Chuck talk Sarah into this in the first place. But this felt like any other task that had to be completed. Maybe he was too dumb to be scared. That made sense, right? Jimmy never underestimated the power of stupidity, especially his own.

"Jimmy, wake up. Time to focus."

Sarah caught him lost in thought. He offered a quick apology and met her pace.

Chuck located the security office just past the business center. He entered the room and took note of the security officer on duty, Mr. Crosby.

"Mr. Crosby? They sent me from the front desk. They told me to tell you that your car was stolen."

"Stolen? Son of a bitch! Thanks for letting me know!" Crosby ran out of the room.

"And thank you for actually believing that," Chuck quietly replied to the departing security officer. Chuck locked the door and took a look at the monitors. Sarah contacted him over his earpiece.

"Chuck, have you made it to the security office?"

"Yeah. It was a piece of cake, actually. I can't believe this idiot…"

Jimmy cut him off. "OK, good. Just need your eyes, not your gift for gab."

"Right," Chuck replied, focusing on the task at hand. He checked the monitors for Casey's location.

"OK, it looks like Casey is in a ballroom 20 yards further down the hall and then to your right. Two agents are with him."

"Got it," replied Sarah.

Sarah and Jimmy continued toward the ballroom. Chuck tried to put as many security cameras on the monitors as possible. One of the cameras pointed to a kitchen for all of the ballrooms. Inside the kitchen were a dozen Ring agents.

"Uh, we have a problem here!" Chuck nervously announced.

The security office door broke open, and two hotel security guards grabbed Chuck, dragging him out of the room.

"Wait! You don't understand! I gotta help those guys. They're in trouble!" Chuck's pleas fell on deaf ears as the security guards dragged him out.

Sarah and Jimmy heard Chuck's predicament over their earpieces.

"Chuck's in trouble," Sarah said.

"We'll have to get him second. We're almost at the ballroom. That sounded like hotel security; otherwise he wouldn't be pleading his case. We'll get Casey, and then you can get Chuck."

Sarah and Jimmy entered the ballroom. There were tables and chairs set up in the room, as if there was a wedding reception scheduled. Casey was handcuffed to a chair at the far end. One agent stood next to him while another kept watch fifteen feet away. Both Sarah and Jimmy could feel two more agents moving in behind them.

Jimmy had only one idea for dealing with this, but he did not reveal this information to Sarah. Somehow, he didn't think she would approve.

"OK, this is how it's going to work," Jimmy announced to the room in an authoritative voice. "You uncuff him, and he and the lady walk out. I stay behind. If you don't like that arrangement, then I can make this evening VERY unproductive."

The agent fifteen feet away from Casey regarded Jimmy for a brief second, undoubtedly trying to assess what Jimmy might do.

"And how do you intend to do that?"

Jimmy walked to the middle of the room away from everybody. He looked around at the agents, Casey, and Sarah. He reached into his coat, pulled out a gun, and placed it under his chin.

Sarah's eyes went wide in shock. "What the hell are you doing?"

"Since they're so determined to take me, then offing myself will make this a waste of their time. Feel free to kill them after I'm gone. It's not like I'll care."

The agent started walking towards him, not believing a single word Jimmy said.

"You're not going to kill yourself."

Jimmy stared at him with those same dead-cold eyes. "I'm already dead, remember?"

* * *

Chuck was still being hauled away by the two hotel security guards. He was struggling against them, attempting to get back to help Sarah and Jimmy. His Intersect finally flashed.

"I really hate to do this…"

Chuck drove his heel on the instep of each guard. They released him as they were knocked off-balance. He then sent a jab at each person. He quickly ran down the hall.

"Sorry!" he yelled over his shoulder as he sprinted to the kitchen.

* * *

The agents waiting in the kitchen were starting to grow impatient, as things were not going the way they expected. They anticipated having to stop a rescue. Chuck sneaked into the side entrance of the kitchen. He looked around for a way to flush them out. He spotted a gas line leading into the oven. Crawling on his hands and knees, he went under the tables and unscrewed the line from the oven, sliding it under the tables. He grabbed some aluminum foil and threw it into a microwave oven. He punched thirty seconds into the microwave, hit Start, and ran the way he came from, heading to the ballroom. Before the agents could react to Chuck, sparks from the aluminum foil made the microwave door explode. This lit the gas and caused an explosion, hitting several agents. The others ran. The sprinkler system activated, and fire alarms went off in the building.

In the ballroom, the agents were surprised by the fire alarms. It was the opening Jimmy needed. He spun, pulled out a second gun, and fired at the agents on opposite sides of the room, hitting both. Casey bolted up in the chair, swung the chair legs at the agent nearest him, and knocked him off his feet. He spiked the chair leg hard on the agent's chest to take him out. Sarah took down the agent nearest her with a butterfly kick.

Jimmy retrieved a set of keys from the agent Casey stomped. As he uncuffed Casey, agents poured out of the kitchen and opened fire.

"Casey!"

Jimmy dove over one of the tables, throwing Casey a gun in the process. Casey caught it in mid-air and opened fire at the agents. He ducked under the same table as Jimmy, and they kicked the table over for cover. Sarah rolled behind a table on her side of the room, ready to sprint over to Casey and Jimmy. Casey stopped her.

"Find Chuck!"

Sarah turned to exit the ballroom as Casey and Jimmy exchanged gunfire with the remaining agents. From behind the agents, Chuck sprinted in. He delivered a vertical kick to one agent, landed, and delivered a roundhouse punch to another.

"Never mind! We found him!" Jimmy shouted to Sarah before she exited the ballroom.

Casey and Jimmy charged towards Chuck and the agents to help him. Chuck took out two more agents with hard jabs. Casey punched out one agent and slammed the head of another agent into the back of a chair. Jimmy took out one with a vicious elbow that would get him a tryout with an NHL team. He head-butted another agent unconscious. Chuck looked impressed.

"I know Irish kung-fu," Jimmy said as Chuck connected on the final agent with a reverse-roundhouse kick. Sarah joined them as the last agent fell.

The four of them looked around and breathed a sigh of relief.

"You're gonna yell at Bartowski, aren't you," Casey noted.

Sarah was upset. "I told him to leave the hotel if we got in trouble. He never listens…"

"I was getting dragged away by security! What did you want me to do?"

"You still came into the ballroom, and then I also have to worry about Slade blowing his brains out…"

"He was bluffing, Walker. You know that," Casey replied.

"Well, he puts on a very good act, doesn't he!"

Jimmy watched the three argue back and forth. He walked to the bar in the back of the ballroom and found a bottle of Jack Daniels. He grabbed a glass and started downing shots.

"And I thought the Intersect gave me a headache."

_**Castle Underground Facility  
October 15, 2009  
11:00 AM**_

Chuck, Sarah, and Jimmy walked into Castle from the Orange Orange. This time, Jimmy walked in without a blindfold, having more than earned the team's trust. Casey was already there, and he was initiating a videoconference link with General Beckman.

"Mr. Slade, on behalf of the United States government, I want to thank you for your assistance with protecting the Asset. Your service is more than appreciated."

"Not a problem, General," Jimmy replied.

"By the way, you WERE bluffing when you pulled that gun on yourself, weren't you?"

"As far as you know."

The general ignored the quip, but Jimmy could feel Sarah's angry look burning into the back of his head.

"We have narrowed down the potential mole to 4 people. We expect to have our traitor before the end of the day. We will be sending people out in the next few days to assist you with protecting Mr. Slade. In the meantime, we need to find a way to keep an eye on him."

"He could assist me in the Orange Orange. That would be simple enough," Sarah answered.

Casey couldn't resist. "Hmm, wouldn't be the first time a business went under because somebody ate the profits."

Jimmy shot Casey an angry glance. "Orange really isn't my color. You can hear the pumpkin jokes already, right?"

"We don't really have a lot of work in the consulting firm," Chuck said. "It probably wouldn't look good if the office had 4 people sitting around doing very little. Morgan already does that enough."

"There's only one choice, isn't there," Casey replied. "But how do we get him in?"

_**Buy More  
October 15, 2009  
3:00 PM**_

Emmett had the Buy More staff in a line to address them. Two police officers walked into the store.

"Perfect timing, officers! Do you have the person responsible for the theft of the credit card information?

"We do indeed," the first officer replied as the second officer put Emmett's hands behind his back and handcuffed him.

"We found the credit card slips inside your car," the second officer barked.

Emmett struggled against the officer. "I didn't do it! I swear to God! Why would I need to do such a thing?"

The first officer held up a small plastic bag. "Perhaps to feed your addiction for the four grams of heroin we found in your desk?"

The two police officers dragged Emmett away, who screamed like a little girl all the way out the store. The Buy More employees watched him be taken away in complete shock.

_**Buy More  
October 16, 2009  
10:00 AM**_

Jimmy spent his morning organizing the desk in the manager's office at the Buy More. He logged into the computer and started printing work schedules and inventory spreadsheets. He couldn't believe how unorganized the files were and shook his head in disgust. He flagged down Casey as he walked by.

"Uh, Casey, you didn't have anything to do with Emmett's 'departure', did you?"

Casey maintained a stoic expression. "I have no idea what you're talking about, Slade."

Jimmy looked at him a second and swore he saw Casey give a smirk as he departed. "Ah, the ORIGINAL 'don't ask, don't tell' policy."

Anna Wu knocked gently on the office door. "Mr. Todd, is there anything we can do to help you settle in?"

"Oh, no Anna. Thank you for offering, though. And it's Anthony. I hate being called Mr. Todd. Makes me sound like a middle-school teacher."

Anna sauntered up to Jimmy's desk and sat on it, which allowed her skirt to ride up slightly.

"Anthony, there is something I was wondering…" she purred in a low and sultry voice.

Outside, Jeff and Lester were at the Nerd Herd desk, doing as little work as possible. Anna walked to the desk, her expression a mix of frustration and determination.

"Did you ask him? What did he say?" Lester was all over Anna for the juicy details.

"If Morgan misses ONE anniversary, forgets ONE dinner, I swear…." Anna stomped past them and departed the store.

Jimmy tried to reorganize the files for the last 4 months, attempting to reconcile sales and shipped orders. He paused for a second.

"That is one scary chick."

_**NSA Headquarters  
October 16, 2009  
1:00 PM**_

A young woman, Janine Kelly, walked briskly down the hall, attempting to catch up to another woman ahead of her.

"Miss Grant!"

Alicia Grant, an IT supervisor for the NSA, turned and looked at Janine running up to her. Alicia had been with the NSA for 10 years. She glanced up at the ceiling and then turned her attention to Janine.

"You'll have to follow me into the restroom. I'm pretty busy, Janine."

"Oh. Yes, ma'am."

The two women entered the restroom. Alicia went to a sink to wash her hands.

"Was the information I found helpful to you, Miss Grant?"

Alicia sighed. "Not as useful as I wanted, but that's not your fault, Janine."

Alicia reached into her purse and pulled out a gun with a silencer attached. She shot Janine dead. She put the gun back into her purse and finished washing her hands. She exited the restroom. She double-checked a reservation in her paperwork; a plane ticket to Los Angeles.

"Back to L.A., I guess," she muttered to herself.

General Beckman hit the intercom button on her phone.

"Roger, have Janine Kelly report to my office immediately."


	6. Taking Care of Business

_**Echo Park  
October 18, 2009  
10:30 PM**_

That was an odd weekend.

Chuck was seated at the kitchen table in his apartment, letting Sarah get some work done on the computers in the office that used to be his bedroom. She had gotten a little behind on filing reports, and he wanted her to catch up undisturbed. Other than offering the occasional drink or any other item she needed, he left her in peace. Jimmy was in the living room sleeping on the couch. This was where he had spent his last 3 nights since all of them returned from the InterContinental following Casey's rescue. One of the assistants in the local NSA office recovered Jimmy's personal effects from his hotel and brought them to the apartment on Friday while he was adjusting to being the new manager of the Buy More. Casey still refused to let on whether he was instrumental in Emmett's dismissal, probably because the people at the Buy More would throw a parade for him if he was. Sometimes Chuck thought Casey would rather be strung up by his testicles and beaten with thorn-infested reeds than be the target of any kind of celebration. Needless to say, Casey's two birthdays that had occurred since being in Burbank came and went without even a mention.

Casey, however, was not the reason the weekend was odd. And this weekend even included dragging him to dinner in a large group earlier that evening. It was Jimmy who made the weekend odd.

It began on Saturday morning. Jimmy left the apartment early while Chuck and Sarah were still asleep. He did leave a note as to his location, but neither the note itself nor what it said made Sarah feel any better. Jimmy was at the Buy More. Chuck punched up the remote surveillance for the Buy More, which Casey reactivated the prior day. Sure enough, Jimmy was at his desk dressed in a suit…on a Saturday, no less…typing away at the computer as if he had a thesis due the next day. He never saw Emmett work that hard on a Saturday, and he couldn't recall Big Mike working that hard any day of the week. Chuck decided to talk to Jimmy, perhaps under the guise of bringing him lunch, to see what was going on. He thought that was better than Sarah ripping Jimmy a new one regarding leaving her protection without telling her. She was still upset his solution to rescuing Casey involved threatening to commit suicide.

Chuck talked to him and he apologized. He said he had a lot of work to do, and he didn't want to disturb them as they slept. He promised to return as soon as he was done with organizing the manager's office at the Buy More. He returned exactly at 5:00 PM like he promised…armed with a dozen grocery bags. He insisted on making dinner for the two of them to make up for sneaking out that morning. He had a chicken marsala recipe that he thought they would like. It did sound good, even though he chased both of them out of the kitchen at any hint of offering help. Chuck decided Sarah and he should go all-out, so they changed into more suitable attire for a lovely dinner. When they came out of the bedroom, Jimmy had set up the table with a nice tablecloth, candles, two bottles of wine, and music in the background. Everything was phenomenal, especially the cheesecake Jimmy brought for dessert. Chuck and Sarah went to relax on the couch…Jimmy forbade them from cleaning up…and they settled in with a romantic movie. Jimmy popped his head out of the kitchen and told them he had to get something at Casey's.

He didn't return for seven hours.

It didn't even dawn on the couple until they were both in the bedroom, holding each other tight after a long, wonderful session of lovemaking. Chuck was the first to figure it out.

"He set us up again."

It wasn't a matter of Jimmy trying to run away from his new handlers again. It was a matter of giving them a night to themselves. Chuck realized he told Jimmy at lunch how he wished he could give Sarah a nice romantic night since he hadn't done so in a while. Jimmy provided exactly that. He made the great dinner, had the extra bottle of wine at the ready, and then conveniently slipped out. He could very well have gone to Casey's, but seven hours over there? Chuck didn't know who to feel sorry for more: Jimmy or Casey.

Sarah solved the problem sometime during the night. She placed a sensor on the door. It would sound an alarm if he attempted to open the door before they got up. Fortunately for her…and even more fortunately for Jimmy…he didn't attempt to go to the Buy More on Sunday. He did check in with the weekend manager from time to time to make sure everything was OK.

Chuck came up with the idea of having a more social evening on Sunday night. He got Morgan and Anna to join them as Chuck and Sarah brought Casey and Jimmy to Orange County, where he read about a nice place that served deep-dish Chicago-style pizza. He thought a little home nostalgia might break Jimmy out of his weird behavior. Morgan, being as much of a pizza connoisseur as one could be for a native Californian, was fairly impressed. Anna didn't mind having dinner with the new boss. He made her title as Nerd Herd Supervisor official, which was something Emmett never did. The fact he gave her a $4 per hour raise certainly endeared him to her, but Jimmy figured that was combat pay for dealing with Jeffster on a daily basis. However, the "you're welcome" to Anna was the most Jimmy said all night. Chuck figured Morgan would be good for prying a few answers out of him, but Jimmy was not amenable to talking about his past. The most anybody got was that he had lived in Henderson, Nevada for the last two years.

Chuck, Sarah, and Jimmy arrived back at the apartment quietly with a significant amount of leftover pizza. Certainly Chuck had his lunches planned out for several days; he thought the pizza was phenomenal. Sarah was understandably fearful of eating too much. One of her past assignments took her to Chicago for two weeks, where she uncovered a bevy of information on a corrupt alderman in bed with several South American drug cartels and gained 5 pounds from all the great cuisine that town had. Jimmy picked at his food most of the night. Chuck couldn't even be sure if Jimmy ate more than half a slice of pizza, and this bothered him. Jimmy did the same thing at lunch the previous day, eating perhaps 3 bites of the Subway sandwich Chuck brought him. He never saw a man eat so little, especially someone Jimmy's size. Something wasn't right, and he went back to the growing pile of information on Jimmy on the table in their apartment to search for a clue.

It didn't take very long to figure out where Chuck went wrong in planning the big gathering.

Casey had contacted the NSA's Chicago office several days earlier to gather information about Jimmy's childhood. They came through with flying colors, even providing transcripts and yearbooks from the 4 years Jimmy attended Shermer Township High School. Chuck started looking through the information while Sarah continued filing her reports. Jimmy's high school transcripts were impressive but nothing that would make him stand out. He got good grades in his mathematics and science courses, even though all of them were honor's level. He got mainly B's and C's in all his other classes. The yearbooks provided a lot more information. His 4 class pictures were practically identical: all of them a look that said he'd rather be anywhere else than taking the picture. The only other place the yearbooks' indices listed his picture was with the football team. He wore number 70 his freshman and sophomore years, then 72 for his junior and senior years. That would have made him a lineman, which made sense, given that was position his father played. He wasn't identified in any other picture, although he did appear in several pictures of school dances. Chuck figured out what those pictures had in common.

Jimmy was alone in every single picture.

Chuck just committed the social equivalent of trying to shove a gallon of water down a thirsty man's throat. It must have been too much for Jimmy. He didn't know how to act in those situations because he had never been in one. It reminded Chuck of his birthday from a few years ago, when Ellie was in overbearing-sister mode, doing a full assault on Chuck so he could meet women.

Jimmy was more talkative with him at the Buy More, and they had a great conversation at the hotel before all hell broke loose. Maybe it was easier for Jimmy in one-on-one situations. Perhaps it was like Sarah said: people seemed to trust Chuck. Whatever the case, he thought it would be good to tell Sarah and Casey about it. Perhaps they had some ideas on how to handle Jimmy. The CIA had to have a chapter somewhere on dealing with angry, introverted loners who save peoples' lives in their spare time.

_**Los Angeles International Airport  
October 20, 2009  
7:00 AM**_

Alicia Grant kept watch of the various gates at LAX. Although she knew the exact flight she was waiting for, she thought it prudent to make it appear as if she was vigilant at her job. That is, the job she was pretending to have as an airline liaison. Her ID badge for LAX could get her into several locations, but if all went well, it would not be needed. She walked around the concourse, answering the occasional question of a hurried passenger. No sense drawing attention to herself; just play it friendly.

An announcement was made over the P.A. "Your attention, please. United Airlines Flight 27 from Washington-Dulles now arriving, gate 76."

In a few moments, people would be exiting the jetway from that flight and heading to the baggage area or to ground transportation. She knew the two people she needed to intercept. To be more accurate, she would be intercepting one of them. The other she left to one of her co-workers who was standing by at a secure location some distance away.

Two people exited the jetway at Gate 76, making their way through the terminal. Elliott Wilson had been at the NSA for 22 years. He was the type who could intimidate just about anybody who didn't know better. 45 years of age, 6'2", 230 pounds, and built like a linebacker, his thinning brown hair and steel grey eyes spelled dangerous. If he didn't have a career as an agent, he could have been the bad guy every single hero was trying to defeat in every action movie ever created. It was a bit ironic he worked for the good guys. Katherine "Kay" Martin wasn't quite as intimidating, at least not if one simply looked at her. She was 42 and was dwarfed by Elliott by almost a foot. However, she had that level of attractiveness that men half her age would happily seek. If the CIA's "seduction school" had a Hall of Fame, she would have made it in on the first vote. Besides being well-schooled in various forms of martial arts and holding the women's record on the CIA's pistol range, she could teach some of the younger agents a thing or two in the art of seduction. She didn't know if it would be needed in this assignment. Actually, neither agent knew a thing about what their new assignment was. They did know they would be contacted in L.A. with the details and a rendezvous would be arranged.

They did not speak to, nor even acknowledge, each other as per standard protocol. They would meet up later at their respective hotels and wait to be contacted. Elliott made a beeline for a Starbucks on the concourse while Kay continued towards the car rental kiosks.

Alicia Grant shadowed Elliott as he went to Starbucks. The plan was already in place to eliminate him. It was quite simple, really. She waited until he purchased his venti-sized coffee. She slipped to the counter where customers could add cream, milk, or sweeteners to their drinks. Wilson's profile indicated a preference for Sugar in the Raw. Grant placed two packets of the product in the cup and moved off. Elliott picked up those two packets and added them to his coffee. Grant had a slight smile on her face; everything was going according to plan. She found a spot away from the crowd and spoke into her two-way communicator watch.

"Wilson is prepped. Ready Martin."

_**Pacific Palisades, CA  
October 20, 2009  
7:40 AM**_

Emmanuel Murphy was at the computers a little early today. Such was necessary for work. Fortunately, nobody messed with "M Squared," his nickname among his fellow agents, when it came to anything computer-related. They even tolerated his "geek chic" attire of a t-shirt, hooded sweatshirt and pants that sat way too low for a man in his early 30's. He had to hack into several locations in the next few days and timing was essential, especially on the first two. On the good side, the first one was painfully simple. Most rental companies didn't really safeguard their reservation information. They tended to concentrate on the credit cards.

_**LAX  
October 20, 2009  
7:45 AM**_

Kay Martin reached the Hertz reservation desk and handed the clerk her ID. The clerk checked her computer and the information came up.

"Ms. Martin, your car is on the 4th floor, space 226."

"Thank you."

Kay walked through the parking garage at LAX, her CIA-issue rolling suitcase dragging slightly behind her. The beautiful part of these cases, which probably cost a fortune to make, was that they could store a dozen different weapons with no one being the wiser, could stop almost any bullet that could be fired from a handgun, and they didn't even wrinkle her outfits. She located space 226, where a nondescript Chevrolet Malibu awaited her. She missed the days where she could drive her Ford Mustang convertible, but she had to leave that to these younger agents. They had all the fun nowadays. She gave a quick sigh and drove out of the garage, heading in the direction of Glendale.

Elliott Wilson made it to the lower level of the concourse, where he needed to retrieve his golf clubs. He wasn't sure how much free time he'd have, but he couldn't leave his clubs behind. If he was assigned to babysit someone, perhaps he could convince them to play 18 holes with him. Four years ago, he posed as a scoring sign carrier during a tournament when several pros had received death threats. Although the culprit had been caught before getting anywhere near the course, being thanked by Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, and Vijay Singh for his service got him interested in working on his game again. He had finally gotten his handicap down to the single-digits, and he was happy to take advantage of playing whenever he could. The courses in California were supposed to be incredible.

As he slung his golf bag over his shoulder, he felt a slight pain in his left arm. He didn't pay much attention to it as he walked towards his car rental. As he continued however, the pain increased. Suddenly he realized that he was having a heart attack. He was more shocked than anything, remembering he passed a physical three months earlier. He dropped to his knees and it dawned on him. He had been poisoned. He tried to reach out to people, but some passed by and the half-dozen who stopped panicked at the thought of Elliott having a heart attack. A cop arrived, radioed for an ambulance, and opened a portable defibrillator. However, it was too late. By the time the officer had Elliott's shirt open and applied the pads, he was dead.

_**Interstate 105 – Anderson Freeway  
October 20, 2009  
8:15 AM**_

Kay Martin continued her drive towards Glendale. Traffic was a little slow, but she anticipated that would happen in morning L.A. traffic. At least people weren't yelling at her every 5 seconds like she had grown accustomed to during her college years in Boston. Suddenly, the car began to accelerate. She tried to turn the steering wheel and hit the brakes. Neither of them worked. The car started driving on the inside shoulder, accelerating to 70 MPH. A construction site was directly in front of her. There were concrete barriers designed to protect the workers between them from cars. She tried to put on the seatbelt, but it did not extend. The car crashed directly into the edge of the barriers. She was thrown through the windshield, since the airbags never deployed. The dozen construction workers who ran when they saw the car approach returned. As they looked down, all of them had sickened looks on their faces, and one turned away to vomit.

_**LAX  
October 20, 2009  
8:15 AM**_

Alicia Grant walked past the crowd near the baggage carousels. She noticed a gurney being lifted with a body on it covered by a sheet. Over her earpiece, she heard Murphy's report.

"Martin is neutralized."

"Good work, M. Make sure you upload our information to Beckman's server. The rendezvous will be arranged soon."

_**Echo Park  
October 20, 2009  
8:00 AM**_

Chuck had to admit liking this arrangement.

Ellie and Devon's bedroom was much larger than the one in which he stayed for all of those years. However it only made sense, numbers-wise, to let the couple have that bedroom. The bedroom now belonged to Chuck and Sarah, of course. Chuck's bedroom had long been converted to an office. Ellie and Devon found a new house in Brentwood. They put a decent-sized down payment on it, courtesy of Chuck, his father, Stephen, and the CIA. It was the least the agency could do for the family that helped take down Fulcrum once and for all. Of course, that still left a huge mortgage. On top of that, Ellie insisted she pay for Chuck and Sarah's rent through the end of the lease. After all, her little brother had poured all of his money into his new business, as far as she knew. Ellie and Devon had as much debt as a pair of newlyweds could rack up, but they couldn't be happier about it.

Of course, the bedroom was especially nice because of the sweet, caring, gorgeous blonde who shared it with him.

Sarah finally caught up on all her paperwork last night. She walked into the bedroom quite tired and stressed out. Chuck knew it was her least-favorite part of the job, so he played his boyfriend role to perfection by giving her shoulders and neck a good massage. Sarah always appreciated that. She languished in his strong-but-soft hands making the tension ebb out of her.

Then he had to do it. He had to kiss that one spot on her neck. She always knew when he was going to do it because he had to brush her hair away from it first. It was that one spot on her neck that drove her wild whenever Chuck kissed it. Her only resolution when he did that was to rip his clothes off and not let him up for air. Collectively, she estimated she ruined about $600 worth of clothing from all the times he had done that. Still, she figured all women had that one "thing" that drove them wild with passion. Ellie confessed at her bachelorette party her weak spot was when Devon would come up behind her, slowly slide his palm against her stomach, and then press his entire body into her. She actually gave him a neck sprain once from pulling him down to her so hard. Two years ago, Sarah would have mildly tolerated a bachelorette party like the one Ellie had. It just wasn't Sarah's scene. However, Sarah treated Ellie like a sister these days, and Ellie could not think enough of what Sarah had done for the family, without even knowing the whole "saving lives" aspect of it.

Chuck and Sarah were sleeping close to each other…spooning, in fact. Chuck had his arm draped around Sarah, something she always enjoyed. The bedroom had more of her touches than Chuck's, thankfully. There were flowers in the room. She bought more expensive curtains, and the room now featured a tank for her goldfish to swim around in, along with 2 or 3 new friends. On the nightstand next to her bed, her iPhone beeped. She extended a hand to silence it. The screen lit up. She looked at it, still half-asleep.

_Arrival of handlers delayed until later due to weather. Will contact with rendezvous and handoff. ETA information later. Beckman._

Sarah put the iPhone back on her nightstand and pulled Chuck's arm closer to her. She was still worn out from the previous night. That Chuck had been studying, hadn't he.

In the living room, Jimmy tossed and turned on the couch. Most people would think the couch was not a comfortable place on which to sleep. For Jimmy, it was actually more comfortable than to what he was accustomed. The part he was not accustomed to was the long night of sleep. He averaged 2-3 hours of sleep per night. He was having a hard time adjusting to the longer nights of sleep he had in the last few days. At least he thought it was that. Perhaps it was having his life on the line for the first time in a long time, but he wasn't certain.

A knock on the door and a turn of the key invaded his restless sleep.

"Good morning!"

Ellie and Devon had been in their new home for just over 3 months. But like any big sister, she was protective of her little brother. It was understandable in their case: they had been effectively on their own for well over a decade. Their mother left them in the early 90's, and their father was only there in a physical sense until 1997. They persevered, even blossomed, by sticking together and taking care of each other. Ellie used that drive and determination to be near the top of her class in medical school, and Chuck had finally worked to get his degree in Electrical Engineering from Stanford. Granted, he took classes online to complete it, something she didn't even know he did. Somehow, she figured that woman who turned his head and stole his heart, the one she was proud to call her sister even though it wasn't technically accurate, had a lot to do with it. Ellie was so proud to see Chuck make such a turnaround in his life from the days when he hung around the slack den called the Buy More, caring more about others than himself.

The image of the fat guy lying on the couch in her former living room brought back all of those bad memories in a heartbeat.

"Uh, hello?" Ellie asked warily to the sleeping Jimmy. She was already shivering at the possibility he might hand her an "I am lost" card like Jeff Barnes did once.

Jimmy bolted up in surprise. He was thankful they delivered his clothes from the hotel, allowing him to have something to wear to bed. He had been reticent to go back there after The Ring found him.

"Hi?"

"I'm, uh, Ellie Woodcomb, Chuck's sister. And you are…?"

Jimmy stared at her for one second and then realized what's going on. Chuck did mention having a sister. Actually, he should have figured it out on his own: the resemblance between the two was uncanny.

"Oh, I'm sorry. Chuck told me all about you. I'm Anthony Todd. Congratulations, by the way. Is that the lucky guy over there?"

Devon walked up to Jimmy, shaking his hand. "Hi, Dr. Devon Woodcomb."

Jimmy didn't know how much they knew, so he decided to play it safe. "Sorry if I startled you. Chuck and Sarah have been nothing but great to me. I came in to do some work at the Buy More, and now they won't let me go. Chuck and Sarah were gracious enough to let me stay here. I'm going to find an apartment this afternoon. They didn't want me blowing money on a hotel room."

Ellie just smiled, but Jimmy didn't get the impression she was 100% thrilled with his explanation. He probably should have consulted Chuck and Sarah on what to say.

Devon moved on to the next topic. "We brought some muffins and coffee over. Got some decaf, it's really good stuff. Probably better for your heart. You know, you should come by the hospital sometime. Got a few things there that might be helpful for you."

Jimmy tried not to look annoyed. "Uh, yeah. I should definitely make an appointment for when I have some time."

Ellie walked down the hall to Chuck and Sarah's bedroom. She knocked gently without looking in. Chuck answered the door in his robe. He was bleary-eyed and barely awake.

"Ellie, I know I said you could drop by any time, but isn't this pushing it?"

"Sorry, we had to come in earlier. Devon's got two angioplasties today, and I have a 12-hour shift. Do you know there's a very large man sleeping on your couch?"

It took Chuck a moment to catch up with Ellie's words. "Oh, Anthony. We're just putting him up for a couple of days. Buy More corporate heard about him. After Emmett's arrest, they made him an offer he couldn't refuse."

He said the last part trying to imitate Marlon Brando's iconic role from _The Godfather_…and failed. He reverted to his normal voice. "Is he really that big?"

"He looks like Hurley from _Lost_, only with a haircut. Are you sure this is temporary? Remember when Big Mike started dating Morgan's mom?"

"Believe me, Ellie. The man is a perfect gentleman," Chuck replied with a fair amount of conviction behind it. "He's trustworthy, he works hard, and there isn't anything he wouldn't do for you. It almost seems having him at the Buy More is a waste of time and talent."

"Maybe he should work for you. He could teach Morgan a thing or two about having a work ethic."

Chuck was amused."Sure, no problem. And how long did you want to keep paying for my lease? I mean, Sarah might manage the Orange Orange, but that doesn't exactly pull in a six-figure salary. That whole "stimulus package" thing takes a while to get going, you know."

Ellie smiled. "Point made. I'll just have to tolerate you being super to yet another human being."

"Thanks, El."

Ellie returned to the kitchen, while Chuck returned to bed. Sarah awakened.

"Is that Ellie?"

"Yeah, sorry. Did she wake you?"

"Oh, no. I have to get up anyway." She stopped and looked towards the nightstand at her iPhone. "Oh, General Beckman sent a text message earlier. Jimmy's handlers got delayed by weather in D.C. I'll go into Castle and get the updated information once it arrives."

"Sounds good."

"Ohhh, shower"

Sarah put her arms around Chuck and gave him a long, passionate kiss.

"Mmmm, that's one of the best things about you: no morning breath."

Chuck rolled his eyes and laughed as Sarah bounded into the shower.

_**Zork Computer Consultants  
October 20, 2009  
10:00 AM**_

Chuck arrived at the office, where he spotted Casey leaving some paperwork for Morgan to mail.

"Morning, Casey. I take it you got the same text message about the delayed handoff?"

"Yeah, I did. Pain in the neck, but things like this sometimes happen."

"Well, I know this office has wall-to-wall projects that are weeks behind schedule, so I can understand your dismay," Chuck replied with a tinge of cynicism.

"Didn't you used to get upset when I was sarcastic towards you?"

Chuck caught his error. "Ah, good point. I should be…more sensitive."

"Much better, Nancy-boy."

Chuck did a slow burn for walking into that one. Morgan took this opportunity to enter the store his customary one hour late. He looked awestruck.

"I-I-I…it's….I've never…"

"Morgan, what's going on?" Chuck inquired, his voice an octave or two higher than he preferred.

"The Buy More. You HAVE to see it."

Chuck and Casey exchanged confused glances. The two departed for the store, leaving Morgan in charge.

_**Buy More  
October 20, 2009  
11:00 AM**_

The two former Buy More employees entered the store, took two steps in, and were dumbfounded at what they saw.

The store was a sight to behold. Every employee was in attendance, well-groomed, and hustling around the store. Not a single customer was wandering the aisles without help from a "green shirt." Even more amazing, all of them were smiling, almost jovial. There were also drinks and cookies at the entrance for the customers.

At the Nerd Herd desk, Lester Patel, Jeff Barnes, and Anna Wu were there, each working with a customer. Lester was clean-shaven, confident, and friendly. Jeff was wearing the cleanest shirt Chuck and Casey had ever seen on him, his tie was straight, and he was actually helping someone. Most importantly, he didn't look like he went on a bender at Bennigan's the previous night. Anna had her shirt buttoned, a longer skirt, and her hair back in a ponytail, and her eyes had minimal mascara and eyeliner on. She looked absolutely gorgeous, in fact.

Chuck and Casey were in complete shock.

"I'm not sure; is this what it's like to watch _The Wizard of Oz_ on acid?" Chuck finally managed to get out.

"It looks like _Revenge of the Nerds_ on the third day of Woodstock."

Chuck and Casey slowly made their way to the back of the store, still trying to comprehend the complete transformation of the Buy More. They encountered Big Mike, who was wearing a dress shirt and tie, much like he wore as a manager. Under "Mike" on his nametag were the words "Assistant Manager." But the item that stopped Chuck and Casey dead in their tracks was seeing Big Mike eating a Nutri-Grain bar. He looked happier than Chuck and Casey had ever seen him.

Chuck was struggling to even form complete sentences. "Hi, Big Mike. Uh, congratulations…on…your promotion.

"Bartowski! Good to see you. That seminar the other day worked WONDERFULLY, thanks in part to you and Casey!"

"But…but…what's going on?"

"Oh, I tell you. It's incredible what 4 days will do to a person. First thing Anthony did before he even settled behind the desk, he made me assistant manager!"

Casey was a little confused by Mike's happiness. "That's still a step down, isn't it? You used to run the place."

"Ahh, big John." Casey bristled a bit when Big Mike clapped his hand on Casey's shoulder, but he calmed down. "You don't follow. You see, the man works his tail off! The employees think he's wonderful; he's instituted a sales bonus plan for all of them. There are promotions everywhere, so we're raking in the bucks. All I have to do is keep an eye on things while he's gone. But he works the entire day! He lets me sneak off to do some quality fishing anytime I want. He does all the books, enters the receipts, even upgraded those damn cash registers that, I swear, were created back in the day when everyone still didn't know what the Village People were singing about!"

"Great! Great." Chuck tried to calm Big Mike down. "But what about the cereal bars?"

Big Mike's voice lowered as if he was telling a secret. "Oh, that. Anthony brought in a few cases for me. See, uh, Bolonia, my lady, kinda hinted that I was starting to put on a few lb's, you know? Must have been all that anger over being demoted by that fascist fairy Milbarge. But these things are good. I can go through 6 of these in the morning, and I STILL lose weight."

Big Mike was practically beaming. "Oh, my lady is in need of some goood lovin'!" Chuck and Casey were getting a bit repulsed.

Anna called from the Nerd Herd desk. "Mike, the pizzas are here."

"Sweet! Have them bring those to the break room. Lunch is on the boss today!"

Chuck and Casey watched two delivery drivers bring ten pizzas and a case of soda to the break room. Casey suddenly had a scowl on his face.

"I hope he isn't wasting taxpayer dollars on this."

"Casey, Casey, I'm sure he has good reason for doing all of this. What that could be, I have no idea."

Chuck and Casey walked back to the manager's office. Jimmy was sitting at the desk feverishly signing papers and checking items on the computer.

"Good morning," Chuck cautiously disturbed the frenetic Jimmy, who looked up.

"Oh, hi. Didn't expect you two to come around. I think I heard the pizza is here. Go help yourselves. Free lunch!"

Casey was barely keeping his anger in check. "How exactly did you pay for all of this, Fatty Warbucks?"

"Relax, future head of the IRS. It was all me."

Casey realized a potential problem. "Wait a minute. Give me your wallet."

Jimmy handed his wallet to him. "Geez, Casey. Don't they pay colonels enough?"

Casey pulled the credit cards out. "You use these, they can be traced, idiot!"

Jimmy was quite offended. "Uh, just how dumb do you think I am? I paid cash for it. Everything else I do through electronic transfers over several banks. Anybody tracing it runs around in circles. They end up with a bunch of fictitious corporate accounts. Twenty years as a computer expert can be lucrative if you're smart enough and have good timing."

"For example?" Chuck asked. He was a little surprised Jimmy was working the system. It seemed a bit out of character for him.

"Like investing in a boatload of dot-com startups in 1996 and getting out of them in 1999? Before the 2000 nosedive? Made a lot of money selling AOL stock in 1997 right before they went to unlimited access. I also sold my oil stocks when prices were still over $100 a barrel. A few offshore accounts, but nothing worth the IRS's time."

"It's time to learn the economics of federal protection," Casey replied, ending Jimmy's financial seminar. "Let the taxpayers provide the basic comforts and stay out of the spotlight. We have a hotel room set up for you. It's Sarah's old hotel. We had a federal witness living there after she moved, but then we transferred him to another location after his testimony. Now it's yours. Don't abuse the room service."

"OK, fine. What about protection? I assume you want me out of your hair as soon as possible."

"We'll find out soon. Probably hand you off to your new agents in a day or two."

"Great. Thanks for stopping by, but there's a ton of work Emmett never did that I have to catch up on. Give me a buzz if you hear anything."

Chuck and Casey departed. Chuck had seen some weird things before, but watching the manager of Buy More work at his job…especially when it wasn't even his job…coupled with Jeff and Lester acting normal was a bit too much. The positive atmosphere in the store was quite overwhelming.

He turned to Casey. "Are you sure we can't stay for pizza?"

Casey angrily dragged him out, although Chuck managed to grab a cookie at the door.


	7. If Anything Can Go Wrong,,,

_**Zork Computer Consultants  
October 21, 2009  
12:30 PM**_

Jimmy was starting to settle in to the new routine. It felt a little odd to have people keeping an eye on him. Spending most of his life alone made having to answer to someone a new experience. But he was trying his best. For their part, Casey and Sarah tried to give him some space. Sarah had stopped most of her evil glances towards him. Although Jimmy got the impression that she still wasn't very happy with his hotel and weekend antics, she appeared to have calmed down.

He cooked dinner for Chuck, Sarah, and Casey the previous night. This time, Chuck and Sarah insisted on helping, and one of Sarah's patented looks made Jimmy's objections non-existent. Chuck wasn't sure, but he got the feeling Sarah cut the vegetables with the culinary skills she had on purpose, just as a gentle reminder to Jimmy not to piss her off again.

Chuck came up with the idea of dragging Casey kicking and screaming to their apartment so he wouldn't have another night with his friend, Johnny Walker, and his brothers, Blackie and Red. Jimmy found a recipe for a West Texas Baked Steak that sounded interesting, given that Casey was probably big on red meat. Even though Casey had grown tired of the nagging by everybody, including Ellie, about his off-work habits, he enjoyed the meal. The fact that guarding two assets while they were in the same room as him was far easier might have contributed to his enjoyment of it. Chuck was starting to think Jimmy had missed his calling. He didn't know how to cook very well himself beyond basic dishes, but he knew he would ask Jimmy for any tips he might have. There wasn't a single woman out there who didn't like a guy who could cook, and he was determined to close the gap in skill sets between Sarah and him.

Jimmy walked into Zork, where he found Chuck working on a computer. Casey was in Castle awaiting the transfer information from General Beckman, and Morgan was partaking in the latest free lunch at the Buy More. He saw the Subway delivery vehicle pull up to the Buy More and made an instant beeline over there.

"Are Morgan and Casey elsewhere?" Jimmy asked.

"Yeah."

"Thank God." Jimmy collapsed into Morgan's desk chair and put his head down. Chuck had a triumphant grin on his face.

"Ah-ha! I knew that was a ruse I saw in there yesterday. There's no way you could have pulled something like that..." Jimmy lifted his head and gave Chuck a weird look. "…and why am I celebrating, anyway?"

"Your compassion is overwhelming," Jimmy slurred, looking like someone attempting to shake off a bad hangover.

"Sorry."

"I didn't know being a positive and dynamic person all the time could be so tiring. How do you do it?"

Now it was Chuck's turn to give a weird look. "Uh, a balanced breakfast?" Jimmy smiled at that one. "Actually, I'm very impressed by what I saw in there. I knew that Emmett leaving would put people in a good mood, but you've got everyone in there acting like they're attending the Christmas show on _Oprah_. Those are some tough people to motivate. How did you rally the troops?"

"I just had to give one of those motivational speeches I've done before. You know, 'one for the Gipper,' and all that. That got most of them motivated. Plus free lunches and bonuses, of course."

"Most of them? What about Lester?"

"I just needed to man him up a bit. I gave him two tickets to that cage fighting match at the Staples Center the other night."

"And that did it?"

"It does when one the other ticket goes to a $600 an hour call girl who provided him with the "girlfriend experience."

Chuck was not sure what to do with that one. Devious guy, this Jimmy was. "Oooo…kay. What about Jeff? He looks so…what's the word…human."

"I've been sneaking in while he naps in the theatre room and playing a "learn as you sleep" CD to boost his self-esteem and have a more professional demeanor."

"Ah. Tony Robbins?"

"ZZ Top. _Sharp Dressed Man_."

Chuck laughed at the image of Jeff in a long beard and sunglasses playing a guitar. He'd get the girls then, wouldn't he?

"What about Anna?" Chuck was very curious what kind of Jimmy magic would work there. However, Jimmy groaned and put his head back down on the desk.

"Oh, man. Don't even get me started. I'm such a frickin' idiot."

"Why?"

"I think I accidentally broke up Anna and Morgan."

Chuck was both confused and amused. If anything, you could only accidentally marry the two. Anna and Morgan had a relationship that made his relationship with Sarah simple by comparison.

"How did you manage to do that?"

Jimmy was turning red with embarrassment. "Anna came into the office Friday when I was getting started and asked me about my shoe size for some reason. I think the Mac Morons told her I wear a size 16. They must have gotten in her head about that…and…"

Chuck's eyes widened. "You didn't…"

"How was I to know? I thought it was more of a scientific curiosity on her part. I didn't think for one second she was interested in me. Guys like me don't get women like….well, ever!"

Chuck was battling a war not to laugh his head off…and losing badly. He felt bad for Jimmy, walking into that Anna bear trap like that and not even knowing it.

"So, when you let out that little yelp at dinner Sunday night, that wasn't from the pizza being too hot?"

"That was Anna running her hand up my thigh. I stopped her before she, well, collected any scientific evidence. That would also explain her frequent trips to my office. I have to keep telling her to keep her blouse buttoned. I feel like a complete idiot."

Chuck was trying to calm down. He was fairly sympathetic to Jimmy's plight, given he had to establish platonic boundaries himself with Anna in the early days at the Buy More. Chuck knew it was kindness Anna liked the most. Forewarned was forearmed, so Chuck continued to dispense advice.

"It's not your fault, Jimmy. It doesn't take a lot for those two to be fighting. In fact, Morgan told me they had an argument on Saturday, so I was actually surprised she went to dinner with all of us. It's clear now why she did. You're a really nice person who treats her well, and she's attracted to that in guys. How you look is not as important to her."

That didn't help. "Oh, God. I gave her that raise, didn't I."

"And clearly she wanted to give you one, too."

Jimmy started banging his head on the desk. Chuck grabbed him before he could cause damage to the furniture.

"Come on. Stop beating yourself up. Anna's not trying to make things hard on you."

"Could you PLEASE rephrase that?"

Chuck was finally able to control his laughter. "Sorry. Look, it's not about you. She loves Morgan, but it ticks her off when Morgan takes their relationship for granted and acts immature. He's been in a bit of a funk since returning from Hawaii. It's really his fault. I'll talk to him. God knows he needs to learn how to be in an adult relationship."

Jimmy lifted his head, as he was not satisfied with Chuck's solution. "No, this needs a lot more than that. I have an idea. Do you know anybody who can help him get ready for a night on the town? I don't mean a Jeff and Lester-style night on the town, but a real one."

Chuck smiled, knowing where Jimmy was going with this. "I have the perfect guy. Morgan will listen to Awesome. He can straighten him out."

"Awesome?"

"That's Devon's nickname. Captain Awesome."

"Ah. Somehow it fits. Ellie and he look like they just stepped out of a _J. Crew_ catalog. OK, you get Awesome to talk to him. I'll take care of the rest. Morgan and Anna are going to have the ultimate GROWNUP night on the town."

"Do tell. What sort of ideas are rolling around in your head there?"

"Oh, I'm thinking limo, Wolfgang's Steakhouse, maybe a night at the opera, Four Seasons Beverly Hills?"

"Holy cow! That sounds really expensive!"

"Would you rather have your best friend's girlfriend keep coming into my office and trying to give me a lap dance?"

"Good point."

Jimmy was shaking his head. "Anything to avoid a sexual harassment lawsuit."

Chuck was confused. "Uh, technically, isn't she harassing you?"

"Yeah, like anybody would believe that. Even I'd sue me."

Casey came up from Castle. "And what are you two discussing?"

Chuck answered so Jimmy didn't have to endure Casey. "We were just talking, Case. Problems. You know, that 'lady feelings' stuff."

Casey pointed to Jimmy. "How can he have lady feelings when he's never even felt a lady?"

Jimmy tiredly turned towards the caustic NSA agent. "Do you, like, speak only two languages? English and Bastard?"

Casey let it slide. Business first, after all. "General Beckman is ready with the transfer information."

The three headed to the back of the office to Zork's access into Castle.

_**Castle Underground Facility  
October 21, 2009  
1:00 PM**_

Chuck, Casey, and Jimmy entered Castle. As they reached the main table, they saw Sarah walking down the stairs from the Orange Orange. Casey typed a command into the computer, and the image of General Beckman appeared on the large LCD screen.

"We have the rendezvous information for you. It is being transmitted right now over a secure link."

"In progress, General." Casey watched the download on one of the computers, not knowing The Ring substituted key components of the profiles of the new handlers.

General Beckman continued. "I advise caution in making the transfer. A woman was found dead in a restroom in NSA Headquarters yesterday. We are trying to find out more information, but a significant amount of surveillance video has been erased from our servers."

"Was the woman someone who worked in a sensitive area?" Sarah asked.

"I'm afraid so, Agent Walker. She was one of the people who had access to Mr. Slade's file. We have to assume that someone has that information and eliminated the woman to burn the trail."

Jimmy mulled that point for a second. "Given what's happened in the last several days, that would certainly make sense. So how do we make a safe transfer?"

"The two handlers we sent out know nothing about you. All plans and responsibility to contact will be initiated by Agent Walker and Colonel Casey. Have Mr. Bartowski nearby. He may be able to help identify people who have infiltrated our organization. Good luck."

The image on the screen went blank. Jimmy turned to the group with a look of concern on his face.

"I don't suppose we would be up for the possibility of me just disappearing on my own again, would we?"

"Not likely," Casey cut in. "We can make the transfer. We just have to control the environment. Not turn you over until we know we can trust the new handlers."

Chuck nervously spoke up. "I don't want to tell you how to do your job there, Case. But we tried this with Bryce Larkin. We thought we did everything right, and it still went to hell."

"So we don't introduce Jimmy at the rendezvous right away," Sarah offered. "We'll keep him hidden until Chuck and I can determine if we're handing him off to the right people."

"But won't that risk Chuck if they're the bad guys?" Jimmy asked. "He's just as valuable…more, in fact."

Chuck was even more nervous now. "Which brings me back to my first point about trying this with Bryce."

"This has to be done, Chuck," Casey replied. "It takes too much to have to protect the both of you at the same time. We get Slade away from you, and both of you become easier to protect."

"Casey's right," Jimmy conceded. "They know about me already. And the longer I hang around here, the more we risk The Ring finding out about you."

"We need someplace a little more low-key this time. A place where we can more easily dictate how the handoff goes," Sarah said.

"Wait. Hang on."

Jimmy went to one of the computers and typed in a search. After a moment, he pulled up the image he needed.

"There's a coffee house about eight miles from here. It's an open area, inside a strip mall. There's a movie theatre and a nightclub a few doors down. If things go south, we can disappear into one or both of those, then regroup later."

Sarah went to the computer and looked over Jimmy's shoulder at the map.

"Zoom out a little bit." Jimmy adjusted the image for her. She could now see the roads surrounding the mall. "This will work. There are roadways behind the theatre that lead to an on-ramp for the I-5. We can escape and be halfway to Mexico in 10 minutes if it comes to that."

"OK, what about the handoff itself?"

"Chuck and I will meet with the handlers. If anyone looks suspicious in the coffee house, he might flash on them. Casey will be outside, watching the perimeter, just in case they try an all-out assault. Jimmy, you'll stay hidden in the coffee house. If everything is clear, we'll bring you out. But we need to find a place inside where you can watch everything. You may see something we don't."

Chuck was less nervous now. "OK, a decisive plan. I like when we have those set up. But how do the handlers make contact with us?"

"Already ahead of you, Bartowski." Casey typed information into one of the computers. "I'm sending an email to the handlers. I'm just writing an address and a time. 9:30 PM. They should walk in and order a double-espresso and a strawberry iced coffee."

Jimmy was a little repulsed. "Eww. Oh, right. Nobody in their right mind would order something like that."

Sarah finalized the details. "We'll set you up to be in position at 9:20. Chuck and I will walk in at 9:30."

"OK. Thank you for all of your help in this." Jimmy paused for a moment. "I have to admit it's been a long time since I've had to rely on anybody for help. I'm glad I found some good people."

"Well, that's what we do," Chuck answered with some false modesty.

Casey gave him one of his classic Casey stares. "That's what WE do?"

"We…you…us. You know, I contribute to the team a lot more nowadays."

_**Coffee House  
October 21, 2009  
9:30 PM**_

Tom Petty was right: the waiting is the hardest part.

The eight hours between the time the rendezvous plans had been arranged and now passed by very slowly. Jimmy hoped to bury himself in Buy More work and arranging Morgan and Anna's big date to pass the time. Unfortunately, his penchant for making things run right meant all of the necessary arrangements for the date only took about 30 minutes, even with ordering a suit for Morgan to wear on the date. Everything was running smoothly at the Buy More, so there wasn't much for him to do the remainder of the day.

_Nice work, Jimmy. Screwed up in reverse, _he thought.

Perhaps he should have asked Chuck for advice in dealing with days like this, but he didn't want to impose on Chuck. Casey was not likely to be much help in this, and Jimmy was still a little intimidated by Sarah. Obviously, he couldn't tell this story to anybody in the Buy More. Even if he could, they would think the boss has gone off the deep end, which would have been a fairly short trip.

Maybe everything would work out. Chuck and Sarah would meet with the new handlers, they'd check out just fine, and he would go on to…whatever was next. Truthfully, he hadn't thought that far ahead. He had no clue whatsoever what the CIA had planned for him. They might set him up with a cover business, like Chuck had; maybe he would do some computer work for them. Maybe the new handlers would take him out to the desert and put a bullet in the back of his head. They might consider that a mercy killing and Jimmy couldn't say that would be the worst thing to happen to him.

He got the feeling he'd never see the three of them again. Casey was right: Chuck and Jimmy in the same room did not make for a safe proposal. Jimmy knew he couldn't live with himself if anything bad happened to them. Having people trying to protect him and look out for him was, literally, a new experience. Until now, people found him mildly tolerable at best. Casey seemed to be in that group, but that appeared to be in his nature. Sarah didn't appear to like it when he made cracks about himself, so obviously she didn't see him in the same way he saw himself. He thought Chuck was an absolute riot. Even Jimmy had to admit the whole Anna situation was pretty funny in retrospect. How in the hell did he become the Angelina in this situation, breaking up Brad and Jennifer? It was too hilarious to even contemplate. He hoped the night on the town he planned for them would resolve this once and for all.

The coffee house had a few patrons in it, mainly people who were enjoying a beverage following a movie. There were also 2 or 3 others. One of them was reading a book; another was reading a magazine. One person worked on a laptop computer. Grant and Murphy entered and proceeded to the counter. Grant ordered a double-espresso and Murphy ordered a strawberry iced coffee. He cringed at the drink as it arrived.

From the kitchen of the coffee house, Jimmy observed the two people walk in. He didn't have a good view of the cash register where they ordered their drinks. There were several displays blocking his view, but he might get a better look if they sat at one of the two tables. This could be them, as they were the only couple to walk in within the last 10 minutes.

He spoke into the two-way communicator watch the team provided him. "I think they just walked in, but I don't have a good view. They're the only couple that has walked in for a while, and it's 9:31."

Chuck, Sarah, and Casey sat in Casey's Crown Victoria behind the coffee house and heard Jimmy's report over their earpieces.

"Acknowledged," Sarah replied. "We'll try to move them to a spot where you can observe them."

"Roger that."

Chuck and Sarah exited the car dressed in casual clothing. They tried to make themselves look like every other couple in the mall, holding hands and smiling. Sarah casually swung her small purse in her left hand, which contained a small 22-caliber handgun. She also had her traditional Glock pistol tucked away behind her back. Her short denim jacket covered it completely. Her ankle-high boots concealed several knives, along with throwing daggers up each coat sleeve.

Casey slowly drove the car to the front of the café, passing by so as not to arouse suspicion. Chuck and Sarah entered, and Chuck saw a couple just to their right.

"Double-espresso and a strawberry iced coffee," he whispered to Sarah.

"But we need to get them facing the other direction so Jimmy can observe. We also don't want our backs to the window, just in case."

"I got it." Chuck raised his voice so the handlers could hear it. "Honey, what can I get you?"

"Just decaf, sweetie," Sarah replied, playing along.

Chuck went to the counter to get the drinks. Sarah slowly walked towards Grant and Murphy, a welcoming smile on her face.

"Hi, you must be new in town."

"Oh, we are," Grant replied, extending her hand. "I'm Kay Martin. Are you the real estate manager?"

Sarah heard the predetermined codeword for a handler. "Yes, yes I am. Sarah Walker, a pleasure to meet you. Over there is my boyfriend, Charles."

"Mmm, aren't you lucky."

Chuck walked towards one of the tables, purposefully moving to a seat so his back was to Jimmy.

"Shall we?" Sarah motioned for Grant and Murphy to join her at Chuck's table. She sat down next to Chuck, while Grant and Murphy occupied the other two seats. They were now facing Jimmy, but Chuck was sitting too far forward to get a good look. Sarah and Grant continued their conversation as Grant completed the introductions.

"This is my partner, Elliott Wilson. Anything special we need to know about the subject?"

"Nothing of consequence. The subject has been very helpful to us."

"Very nice person, very cooperative," Chuck added, following Sarah's lead. He studied Grant and Murphy carefully to see if anything triggered a flash. However, nothing happened.

"Is the subject here?" Grant asked.

"We'll take you to them," Sarah replied. "Given the circumstances, we felt this arrangement would be safest."

"Ah, a sensible precaution."

Jimmy moved a little to his right and Chuck sat back in his chair. Now Jimmy had a good view of Grant. Something looked familiar about her.

Sarah continued the conversation. "The subject is ready to go. You'll be able to communicate with Beckman in the next day or two."

Jimmy kept his eyes affixed on Grant. For some reason, he didn't flash. But there was still something…as if he had seen her before...

He decided not to chance it. "Chuck, Sarah, abort."

"Are you two big sports fans?" Sarah asked Grant and Murphy, which was actually a coded message to Jimmy. She wanted to know what he saw.

"I don't know," Jimmy replied into his radio. "I didn't flash, but something isn't right. It's as if I've seen the woman before somewhere. I don't know where."

"…but it's hard to be a Wizards fan these days," Sarah refocused on Grant's answer. "Thank God for the Capitals. They should be good for a few years."

Chuck tried to keep a poker face, but concern was starting to creep in. He slowly glanced around the room and spotted a twentysomething male reading a book. He flashed, seeing images of a building, a listing of agents, and pictures of the male shooting a D.C. cop at point-blank range. He became more nervous and looked further left, spotting a woman reading a magazine and man at his laptop. He had another flash, seeing a chandelier and a dinner party. The man and woman were walking around a room full of dead people sitting at tables, as if they had been poisoned or gassed.

Chuck tried to maintain composure. Under the table, he tapped at Sarah's leg. Sarah glanced at him, as if to say "What's wrong?" Chuck tapped three fingers on her thigh. Sarah maintained her smile, but her eyes went cold. She drew a question mark on his thigh. He drew a line on hers, indicating her left. She took a quick glimpse in that direction.

Outside, Casey is made another pass in front of the coffeehouse. He was on the alert after hearing Jimmy's abort message. After turning back into the alley, a large SUV rammed his car from his left. The impact forced his head against the side of the car, knocking him unconscious. The SUV backed up and two people emerged. The man exiting the passenger side of the SUV looked at Casey. Casey had a severe cut along his forehead. The man checked Casey's pulse to see if he was still alive. The driver of the SUV opened the passenger side door of Casey's car and dragged him out. The two carried Casey to the back of the SUV. They removed his weapons and earpiece. Opening the rear lift gate of the SUV, they placed Casey inside.

Sarah put her hand on Chuck's back, then took two of her fingers and slid them apart, indicating they should split up and exit.

"If you'll excuse me, I really need to use the restroom," Chuck excused himself from the table. The man reading the book quietly got up from his table and followed Chuck into the restroom.

Sarah continued talking to Grant and Murphy. "Well, maybe you two could take the subject to a Dodgers game. We have some tickets in the car. Let me go get them for you. I'll be right back."

She slowly got up and walked out. The woman with the magazine and the man with the laptop pretended to finish what they were doing and left the coffee house as well.

In the kitchen, Jimmy got the "run" code from Sarah: the mention of a Dodgers game. He made his way to the other end of the kitchen, heading for the back door of the coffee house.

Chuck went to the urinal. He stood there as the agent with the book walked in. The agent pretended to walk past Chuck to the back toilet. Chuck heard the click of a switchblade, which prompted his Intersect to flash. Pivoting on his right leg, he swung his left foot up, connecting with the head of the agent. The agent fell to the ground. Chuck got over top of him. Before the agent could get up, Chuck delivers a hard jab, taking him out.

Sarah peered carefully from the side of the building. She could see the alley where the back door opened. She alternated between watching the front for anybody and watching the back for Jimmy to come out. The other two agents in the coffee shop moved on her position.

Chuck went to the sink and quickly splashed water on his face to calm himself. He then dried himself off with some paper towels. He tried to walk out of the restroom acting as if nothing was wrong. He started to walk back to the table but noticed Sarah gone. He looked and saw the other two agents gone.

He made something up. "Oh, did Sarah go out to the car? Ah, I know what she was looking for. I'm gonna go help her. Be right back!"

He said the last line rather quickly as he darted out. From the kitchen, the sound of a pan hitting the floor could be heard. Grant was upset with herself for letting the charade go on too long.

"Dammit, talking about sports? That was a run signal."

Murphy went to the laptop the other agent left. He punched up a satellite image of the entire area.

"Wait, there's a theatre and a nightclub only a few doors away. They might duck in one of those if they're cornered."

Grant spoke into her radio. "Jackson, did you capture the other one?"

"Yeah, we have him," Jackson replied. "Transporting him to base."

"All units, converge on the theatre and the nightclub." She turned to Murphy. "Let's go."

Sarah was pressed against the side of the building. She was waiting for Chuck and Jimmy to arrive. Suddenly, the male and female agents turned and spotted her. They drew their guns. She pivots and shook her sleeves. The two throwing daggers fell into her hands. She hurled them towards the agents, and both knives hit their marks. The two agents fell.

Behind her, Jimmy ran for the nightclub, not bothering to stop or look around. Chuck arrived from around the corner. The first thing he saw were the two dead agents with knives sticking out of them.

"Aaagh, that's…We are NEVER going to catch a break, are we!"

Sarah spoke into her watch. "Casey, we need help. Casey?" There was no response.

"OK, we have to hide," Chuck said as his panic rose.

"No, we have to find Jimmy. We'll try the nightclub first."

"What if he went to the theatre?"

"He might have, but I'm playing the numbers. You can hide in a theatre, but you wouldn't be able to move. I'd guess he's thinking the same thing. Hopefully, he'll try to look for us first. But if we can't find him, I'm sure he'll try to disappear. I don't want him taking that chance."

"Why don't you check out the nightclub, and I check the theatre?"

"No, we can't split up," Sarah quickly replied, vetoing that idea. "That would risk you as well. You're safest place is with me."

"Right. Let's go." Chuck and Sarah headed to the nightclub.

_**Tammy's  
October 21, 2009  
10:00 PM**_

_Of course it didn't work out! It never does! They should change it from Murphy's Law to Slade's Law, _he thought_._

Jimmy was wondering what the hell he was thinking as he paid the cover charge and entered the nightclub. The Cubs had a better shot of winning the next ten World Series than he had of something going right. Unfortunately, now wasn't the time to curse the past. There was a slightly more pressing issue right now…like living to see tomorrow. He would try to hide out in here for a few minutes, hoping Chuck, Sarah, or Casey would find him. If not, it would be time to pick a new town and a new name. In reality, he didn't stand a chance in hell of that scenario being successful. But right now, he didn't have a whole lot of viable options.

He entered the club and looked for a quiet corner. There were about 200 people in the club, along with ten servers and a long bar with four bartenders behind it. At the opposite end of the room from the bar was a stage. There was a band performing, playing mostly pop and rock music from the 70's, 80's, and some 90's. The crowd seemed to be enjoying it, based on a lot of the yelling and dancing going on.

Chuck and Sarah entered the club. The bouncer let Sarah go, but Chuck had to pay the $10 cover charge. They slowly made their way down one side of the club. Suddenly, two large hands grabbed them by the shoulders and yanked them back. Sarah pointed her gun at the figure that grabbed them.

"Oh." she calmed down and lowered her weapon when she saw who it was. "That's not the best way to get our attention, Jimmy."

"I'm sorry, but I wasn't sure if anybody actually saw you."

"Ahh, no problem," Chuck breathlessly replied while clutching his chest. "Although I hope you know CPR because I think I'm going to need it before the night is over."

"We need to figure out a way to exit and find Casey," Sarah said. She started to head into the open, but Jimmy stopped her.

"Wait. Chuck?"

Chuck and Jimmy moved behind the pole preventing them from being viewed by anybody at the entrance. They peered around it and notice several people walking in. Both of them began to flash. They see buildings, a city street, a falling body, and several others lying dead, riddled with bullet holes. Chuck gasped, and Jimmy staggered from the pain.

"Ring?" Sarah asked, recognizing what happened to them.

"About 8 or 9 of them," Jimmy replied, still holding his head from the effects of the flash.

Sarah started looking around for an alternative. "We need to find a side entrance and slip you two out of here."

"Wait a minute," Jimmy countered. "You try to sneak us both out at once and we'll draw attention. You have to get Chuck out of here, and then we rendezvous somewhere else."

"No, it's my job to protect you."

"No, it's your job to protect HIM. They know who I am, but they don't know who he is. I wouldn't be able to sneak through a crowd like that, anyway. I'd stick out at a Weight Watchers meeting."

"Then what the hell are we supposed to do?" Chuck asked, both nervous and exasperated.

Jimmy scanned the club. A good portion of the crowd was gathered near the stage listening to the band. Suddenly, he had an idea. He turned back to Chuck and Sarah.

"If they know you're holding three Jacks, you keep their attention on those Jacks. That way, they don't see the two Aces you have in the hole. Be ready to move him through the crowd on my signal."

Sarah was getting aggravated. "What signal?"

"You'll know it when it happens."

In the back of the SUV, Casey regained consciousness. His first instinct was to get up, but he realized he was being transported somewhere. He recoiled a bit at the neck and head pain he had from being hit by the SUV. He tried to look around without drawing attention to himself.

Jimmy moved slowly along the wall, trying to stay out of sight. Chuck and Sarah remained seated at the table with their backs to the wall. Their table was dark enough that nobody could see them from a distance.

Jimmy slipped to the side of the stage and ducked behind the curtain. The band finished a Rick Springfield song.

"PSST!"

Jimmy got the attention of the guitarist nearby. He walked over to Jimmy. Jimmy whispered in his ear and handed him something. The guitarist smiled at what he was handed and walked to his band mates. They huddled for a moment, and then he went to the microphone.

"ARE YOU HAVING A GOOD TIME?" The crowd shouted in approval. "We're gonna do a song here, one of your favorites, I'm sure. Got a new guy here, he's really good. He's going to give us a hand with it. One…two…one, two, three, four…."

The drummer started a beat solo. The crowd screamed in recognition of the song. The bassist joined in. Jimmy walked to the microphone. Chuck and Sarah looked at the crowd and then turned their attention to the stage. They spotted Jimmy on the stage.

Sarah was beside yourself. "Oh, no he ISN'T!"

"Don't even tell me," Chuck hung his head.

"It took me FOREVER to get Jeffster! out of my head!"

The opening guitar riff played. Jimmy bounced around on stage like he was drunk at a karaoke bar. The agents walked past Chuck and Sarah towards the stage, not even bothering to look at them.

Sarah was shocked. "I don't believe it. It's working."

"Bad music to bad agents," Chuck replied. "It's like moths to a flame."

Sarah grabbed Chuck's hand and led him into the crowd. On stage, Jimmy grabbed the microphone.

_Oh, my little pretty one, my pretty one  
When you gonna give me some…TIME SHARONA!  
Ooh, you make my motor run, my motor run.  
Got it comin' off of the…LINE SHARONA!  
Never gonna stop, give it up, such a dirty mind.  
I always give it up, for the touch, of the younger kind,  
My-my-my-ai-ai-WHOO! M-m-ma-my Sharona!_

Chuck and Sarah stopped dead in the middle of the crowd and turned towards Jimmy. The rest of the crowd was screaming and dancing around them. It was the perfect camouflage.

"HO-LY CRAP! I never would have thought that!" Chuck exclaimed.

"He can sing?" Sarah stared at Jimmy in complete astonishment.

"He could headline his own tour!"

Sarah shook off the surprise and pulled Chuck through the crowd. Jimmy continued to sing on the stage.

_Come a little closer, huh. A-will you huh?  
Close enough to look in my…EYES SHARONA!  
Keepin' it a mystery, it gets to me.  
Runnin' down the length of my…THIGH SHARONA!_

Quietly, Casey rolled onto his stomach. His hands were cuffed. He broke the small bone in his left hand, biting his lip to not scream or even breathe differently. His hand slipped out of the cuff. He pulled out the knife he had taped to his shoulder blades and gently cut the ropes tying his legs together.

Jimmy continued to sing on the stage, and the crowd was in a frenzy.

_My-my-my-ai-ai-WHOO! M-m-ma-my Sharona! M-m-ma-my Sharona!_

The band went into the first guitar solo. Looking off each side of the stage, he tried to locate the Ring agents. Two of them were just off stage to his right. He danced around the stage during the solo. What looked to the crowd as just getting into the music was actually a move to get to the agents. Once out of sight, he pulled out the two knives he "borrowed" from Castle. The two agents hid in the curtains, ready to jump him, but Jimmy had them spotted already. He dove to the floor, landed on his back, and threw the two knives, one in each direction. The knives landed in the abdomens of each agent, and they fell. He got up and returns to the stage, dancing his way to the microphone the same way he went off.

Chuck and Sarah made it to the other end of the crowd. Chuck spotted an exit sign pointing to a hall perpendicular to the stage. They moved slowly towards it. Sarah pulled out her gun and attached a silencer. Jimmy began the third verse.

_When you gonna give it to me, give it to me?  
Is it just a matter of…TIME SHARONA!  
Is it just destiny? D-destiny?  
Or is it just a game in my…MIND SHARONA!_

Grant and Murphy walked into the club. She quickly surveyed the scene. She saw Jimmy on the stage and was confused for a moment. Suddenly she realized what he was doing. She got out her radio.

"Find the other two agents. Slade is creating a diversion. They must be the important ones. Keep two on Slade. If he moves off stage, grab him. All units in the theatre converge on the nightclub now!"

Jimmy continued singing on stage. He spotted several of the agents move away from him and began to worry.

_M-m-m-m-m-m-my-my-my-ai-ai-WHOO!  
M-m-ma-my Sharona!  
M-m-ma-my Sharona!  
M-m-ma-my Sharona!  
M-m-ma-my Sharona!_

Jimmy threw the microphone down by the drums.

"Keep playing until I get back!" he shouted to the band. Jimmy took off, and the two remaining agents at the stage bounded after him. He ran behind the curtains and pulled out his two guns. He attached silencers and waited for the two thugs to run behind the curtains. He took both of them out with a shot apiece and ran in the direction Chuck and Sarah went.

Casey held the knife in his injured hand, blade down, using only 4 fingers since his thumb was messed up from breaking the bone. In his right hand, he held the open handcuff around his fist like a set of brass knuckles. Pushing back on his feet, he sprung over the back seat, landing between the two agents in the front seat. He immediately brought the cuff down, smashing the passenger on the side of the head. Without even stopping, he took the knife and slashed the passenger's throat.

Chuck and Sarah walked quickly towards the exit behind the stage. Sarah kept looking behind them to see if anyone was following. As they got to the prop area for the stage, a Ring agent leveled his gun.

"SARAH!"

Sarah turned and tackled Chuck out of the line of fire. She raised her hand and blindly fired towards the agent, who ducked out of the way. Chuck and Sarah crawled behind a set of risers in the corner as more agents arrived. Sarah grabbed her purse and retrieved her other gun.

"Chuck. My jacket. More clips." Chuck grabbed the clips out of her jacket pocket.

The driver pulled out a gun and tried to aim at Casey. He grabbed the driver's arm and smashed it against the dashboard. The SUV started skidding back and forth from the fight. A hard smash by Casey, and the driver dropped the gun. He threw an elbow at Casey that connected, knocking Casey back. Casey shook his head clear and lunged for the driver, his rage completely out of control. He grabbed the driver's head and repeatedly smashed it into the steering wheel. Casey unbuckled the seatbelt and wrapped it around the neck of the driver. He pulled the seatbelt and slammed the driver's head into the armrest over and over until the driver no longer responded.

Casey suddenly realized who is driving the SUV…nobody. He quickly threw the gearshift into Park. The SUV screeched to a halt. Casey hopped into the front, opened both doors, and pushed each agent out with his foot.

"You owe me a Crown Vic!" Casey spats at the driver's corpse and drove back to the mall.

Chuck and Sarah were pinned down. Eight agents from the theatre had arrived, making a total of twelve. Sarah continued to fire at them.

"Chuck, in my boot there should be three knives."

Chuck lifted the leg of her jeans and pulled out the knives.

"Here," Chuck said, offering her the knives.

"Throw them!"

"Sarah, I never did that before! I don't know if the Intersect has…"

"Just throw them!"

Chuck peeked over the riser, waiting for his opportunity. He looked at the knives and had a flash. He threw the knives, one by one. One of the knives hit an agent in the arm, who dropped their weapon. The other knife hit a second agent in the leg, who also went down. He ducked back behind the riser.

"OK, one knife left."

Sarah checked her clip. "I've got five left."

"We can't take all of these guys with only five bullets and a knife. I just hope Jimmy got away clean."

"I wish he'd run, but he won't. That guy is 200 pounds of brave and 200 pounds of crazy."

As if on cue, the song hit the high notes in the guitar solo, and Jimmy flew in, eyes wide from adrenaline and guns blazing. He took out two agents on the run. He didn't let up, launching himself into the air with a primal scream and colliding with the group of agents. They flew everywhere and dropped their weapons in the process.

"NOW!"

Chuck and Sarah got up from the risers. Jimmy continued to pound on the two agents under him, landing blow after blow to their faces. Chuck flashed while rolling right and nailed an agent trying to get up. Sarah landed a roundhouse kick at another one. Another agent came at Sarah.

"Going up?" Jimmy offered as he planted himself. Sarah jumped, using the back of the prone Jimmy to push off, and landed a flying kick at another agent. The first agent Sarah hit got up and retrieved his weapon. Jimmy looked to his right and saw a drink the band left on the table. He threw it at the man with the gun. It blinded the agent. Jimmy pulled the gun from the agent he pummeled and pistol-whipped the blinded thug.

"Now there's a gin-and-tonic 20 years in the making," Jimmy retorted, recalling the drinks in his face at C.O. Daniel's.

He turned to see Chuck and Sarah fighting the remaining 6 agents. One agent was thrown towards him, courtesy of Chuck. Jimmy grabbed him, accelerated his momentum, and smashed him head-first into the opposite wall. Jimmy moved back as an agent knocked Sarah towards him. She stopped her momentum by putting her arms out and bracing against Jimmy. She then grabbed his shoulders and kicked her legs up and back to knock out the two agents nearest her. Landing again, she turned and leaned back against Jimmy. He held her at the waist and lifted her as she kicked high into the air, landing a boot to the chin of another bad guy. Jimmy whirled around just in time to throw a ferocious haymaker at an agent charging him. Chuck landed a hard jab at one of the remaining two agents and then sent the other one down with a kick to their chest.

They looked around at all of the agents on the ground. The music suddenly stops.

"Oh crap! The song!" Jimmy bolted out of the room.

Jimmy darted back towards the stage. The band played the final section of the song, the guitarist ready to sing the ending. Jimmy reentered the stage out of breath. He was retching a bit, but the audience thought it was part of the act.

_Oooooooooooooohhhhhhhhhh…MY SHARONA!  
Oooooooooooooohhhhhhhhhh…MY SHARONA!  
Oooooooooooooohhhhhhhhhh…MY SHARONA!_

The crowd went wild. Jimmy smiled and gestured for the crowd to thank the band.

"Don't forget to tip your bartenders and waitstaff!"


	8. Change in Latitude, Change in Attitude

_Hey folks. Hope you are enjoying the story. PLEASE leave some feedback if you like it/hate it/wonder what planet I'm from. Just like every author here, I always like to know what you think._

_N.B. The language in this chapter is a bit more coarse than previous chapters. The next few chapters will be that way as well._

_**

* * *

Tammy's  
October 21, 2009  
11:45 PM**_

The team drove away from the nightclub. Sarah and Casey supervised the arrest of the remaining Ring agents with the CIA and the NSA. Once their preliminary reports were filed, the four started driving towards Jimmy's hotel. Casey was behind the wheel, Sarah was in the passenger seat, and Chuck and Jimmy were in the back.

Chuck noticed Casey's wounds. "Holy crap, Casey. You look like hell."

"Yeah, having an SUV almost rammed up my ass gives me that not-so-fresh feeling."

Chuck pulled out his mobile phone. "I'll call Awesome and see if he can help you."

"What the hell were you doing in there?" Sarah turned toward Jimmy, absolutely incensed by what happened.

"Uh…you're welcome?"

"You pull a crazy stunt like that! They could have shot you right then and there while you were doing your goddamn Bono imitation!"

Jimmy was getting upset. "I improvised! You had to get Chuck out of there, and I was trying to help you do that. It almost worked, too!"

"How many times are you going to risk yourself? Have you forgotten that you have a load of government secrets in your head, and you could probably handle new ones, too? You can't run around like you're John McClane!"

"Hey, I have a priority list when it comes to this team! One, Chuck! Two, you and Casey! I am a VERY distant third! If you think I'm gonna let any of you risk your lives over me, you're out of your goddamn mind!"

"We're here to help you out! You better get used to the fact that someone actually gives a rat's ass about you!"

The look in Jimmy's eyes went from anger to cold and calculating. "Well, I never asked you to do that, did I."

Sarah became enraged and hit Jimmy. He fell dazed into Chuck's lap. Chuck looked at her in shock. Casey was partly-surprised…and very impressed…by Sarah's hook. Sarah returned her gaze to the front and remained silent.

_**Echo Park  
October 22, 2009  
12:15 AM**_

The rest of the drive to Jimmy's hotel went silently. Upon arrival, Jimmy slid slowly out of the car, giving a slight wave to Chuck before exiting. Chuck figured Jimmy didn't want to do anything beyond that and risk incurring the wrath of Sarah again. For his own benefit, he decided to follow the same tact and give her plenty of breathing room. She exited the car and walked briskly to their apartment, stopping only to acknowledge Devon, who was waiting by Casey's door with his medical bag.

"Ouch, John. That looks pretty bad. Nothing I can't handle, though. Let's take you inside." This was the first time they availed of his services since he found out about Chuck, Sarah, and Casey.

"Thanks, Devon." Casey looked towards Chuck and Sarah. "See you two in the morning."

"Take care, Casey." Chuck watched Casey and Awesome go inside and then had to catch up quickly to his own door as Sarah was already in their apartment.

Chuck sat down on the couch, still afraid to go near Sarah. He could hear the door of the refrigerator slam in the kitchen. It was very rare…and very frightening…to see Sarah as seemingly out of control as she was now.

Sarah walked into the living room and saw Chuck there. She looked ready to say something, but she turned away and paced, trying anything to let the anger subside. Chuck remained quiet. After a moment, she broke the silence.

"I know I shouldn't have hit him. I lost it. The guy drives me completely insane! How long is it going to take him to figure it out? Is he ever going to rely on us? How am I supposed to protect him when he runs around wild like that? Why is he so hell-bent on giving a damn about everybody but himself?"

She stopped pacing and looked at Chuck. He didn't say a word. He just looked at her.

"Chuck, this is where you agree with me, tell me I'm crazy…something."

"Oh, I was just remembering two years ago. The last time you yelled at anybody like that, I was getting out of the helicopter after that doctor captured you. You were mad because I thought you had betrayed me, that I didn't trust you. I didn't know a whole lot about how you and Casey operated then, and both of you had me convinced the other would shoot me in the back. I was really confused and didn't know who to trust. I felt like I was on an island."

Sarah's stance softened a bit. She was just as much to blame for that night as Chuck was. She found out later what Casey had said about her, and she realized she lashed out at the wrong person. Casey and she learned a hard lesson that night. They didn't undermine each other in front of Chuck after that.

"I know. I was harsh with you. I wanted you to trust me, and I really didn't offer that back when I tried to turn you against Casey."

"Well, imagine someone living like that for 20 years."

The blood drained from Sarah's face. To some degree, Chuck was right. She was asking someone whom she only met a week ago to trust her with his life and not dare question her methods. Trust a person from the same agency that put him through this hell in the first place. Trust a complete stranger when he was never able to trust a single person in his life. The very life which had been put in danger three times already as a result. She should have expected him to be hesitant to following her orders at the very least.

The reality of it, however, was far worse. She slumped down on the couch next to Chuck, taking his arm and putting it around her. Her voice could barely be heard.

"Actually, it's even worse than not trusting anybody for all those years. I grew up exactly like that. I never really knew my mother; my dad spent all his time pulling cons. I was an outcast in high school. I've had to work and fight my way out of more situations than I can count in the last 7 years. I, of all people, should know what he's been through. What it's like to rely only on yourself."

"But you've changed. You trust people a lot more now, certainly me and Casey. You're a lot more relaxed in social situations. Even Ellie's told me you're much more open nowadays, and I know how hard that can be when she goes into overbearing mode. The difference in you between two years ago and now is amazing."

Sarah smiled at that. Of course, she knew the reason for the change. She was snuggling next to it.

Chuck continued his pick-me-up. "I just think you have to give Jimmy some breathing room. Let him do what he does best…if we ever figure out what that is. It's a pretty long list so far."

"You're right." She put her arms around his neck. "So, you're saying I'm less of a pain now?"

"Oh, no. You're still a royal pain." Sarah looked at him in mock horror. "Wouldn't have it any other way."

"Errrr, I'll show you a royal pain!" She tackled him down on the couch and kissed him passionately.

_**Castle Underground Facility  
October 22, 2009  
10:30 AM**_

Sarah walked downstairs from the Orange Orange to find Casey working on papers at the main table. This was part of what she didn't want to go through today. She knew her actions the prior night were inexcusable. Casey had every right to report her to Beckman. It was bad enough The Ring almost succeeded in killing the team and capturing Jimmy…possibly even Chuck. She was already dreading the possibility she might get reassigned. She wouldn't know what she would do if that occurred. To make matters worse, she had nobody but herself to blame. Losing her temper with Jimmy might have cost her everything she worked for.

"Morning, Casey," she timidly eked out.

"Walker," was his curt reply. Casey had a bandage on his left hand and several butterfly bandages along the left side of his face. Devon had done his usual stellar job.

It was time for her to take the plunge. "Have you written your report concerning last night already?"

"Working on it right now."

"Um, were you planning to include what happened…well…on the way home?"

"You mean when you assaulted the person you were assigned to protect without good cause?"

Casey had that unmitigated ability to make a simple statement of fact hurt more than anything any enemy could inflict upon her. She looked down at the ground in shame. She had to take it and like it.

"Yes, that," was her strained response.

"That depends on you."

"I had every intention of apologizing to him, Casey."

"That's not what I mean."

That gave her some pause. "I should know better. Jimmy spent his entire life only able to rely on himself. I have to be more understanding about that with him and earn his trust."

"That still isn't what I mean."

Now Sarah was confused. She had no idea where Casey was going with this. "What, then?"

" 'You better get used to the fact that someone actually gives a rat's ass about you.' That was your quote from last night. You said that to the person who charged a dozen armed enemy agents to save you and Chuck. I don't think Slade's the one who needs to get used to that fact."

Sarah buried her face in her hands. Being a CIA agent had given her an unending amount of headaches over the years. But this time, she was giving herself the headache. She was now 0 for 3 concerning last night. And what Casey pointed out was the worst of all. The thought never crossed her mind Jimmy was being as protective of Chuck, Casey, and her as they were of him. He had done things in the last week most CIA agents would never have the guts to do. There was no logic, no reason to it, either. He just…did them. Sarah couldn't even be sure if Jimmy knew what he had accomplished in the last week. It just seemed to come naturally to him.

"_Fools rush in where angels fear to tread." He is incredibly foolish isn't he,_she thought_. And we're still alive because of it._

She looked up. Casey was still writing prolifically on his reports.

"I wish I had known. I've seen people who grew up with no problems at all turn on their closest friends at the drop of a hat. It never even occurred to me that Jimmy could be that heroic. It just doesn't seem like him."

"People will surprise you sometimes, Walker."

She looked at Casey. He was far more accepting of good fortune than she was. He was more comfortable dealing strictly in shades of black and white. She always had to know the "why" behind everything rather than just accepting it. If she thought more like Casey, Chuck and she would probably be married by now. Given his disdain for their relationship, that had to be the ultimate irony.

Casey was frozen in place. Sarah had encountered this look before. There was so much history behind Casey. History that would make the most hardened individuals shiver. Sometimes, it came back to haunt the stoic and bitter NSA agent.

"What is it, Casey?"

She could see Casey shaking slightly. Whatever horror of the past it was, it was clearly one which had a tremendous impact on his psyche. His words were as quiet as she has ever heard from him.

"Latrell Darcy."

"Latrell Darcy?" She didn't recognize the name, but she knew he needed someone to listen.

"He was this scrawny little kid that got assigned to my Ops group last minute back in '02. Grew up in the projects of Oklahoma City. Kept to himself a lot. He spent most of his off-time reading Ian Fleming and Tom Clancy novels. I was afraid he'd get the wrong idea of how things work in combat, 'cause those books never get it right.

"We were running a black Op to take out an al-Qaeda stronghold in Pakistan. Can't say where, of course. We flanked the installment, trying to get into a more strategic location. I sent McCarthy, this big, hulking farm boy…we called him Moose…with our heavy rocket launcher a hundred yards downrange to give us a better advantage. Bastards weren't fooled, they attacked him. Moose got his leg shot off; his cover man was blown away. They started launching an attack on our location, and we weren't going to get any air support since this mission was off the grid. Suddenly, there goes Darcy, running like a crazed son of a bitch, dashing the one hundred yards to Moose, with al-Qaeda fire following his every step. He grabbed the rocket launcher and fired into their stronghold. He then picks up Moose…Moose had to be 225 at the minimum…slings him over his shoulder, and brings him back to us. Thanks to him, we were able to take out their installation. Skinny little bastard saved the whole company."

Sarah could tell by the look in his eyes this story didn't have a happy ending. She moves to the seat next to Casey. "What happened to him?"

Casey looked away for a moment and then looked down. He struggled with his words. "He went back home between tours. A pastor from his old church wanted him to talk to some of the kids about his experiences. Get them to study, stay away from gangs, that sort of thing. He's walking near his old house, and a car drove by. Bastards inside opened fire at rival gang members at a neighboring house, but Darcy got hit, too. Died right there in the street, right in the middle of the goddamn country he swore to protect. TV and newspapers tried to label him as just another gangbanger who got killed, but our company knew better. We made sure everyone knew that he saved our lives, classified be damned. Got the governor of Oklahoma to attend his funeral and make a special declaration for him. We put together a scholarship at his old high school so a kid could get a full ride to the University of Oklahoma. The Sooners had a moment of silence for him during one of their football games that year. The whole company was there for it."

Sarah always had a "10 word" rule with Casey. Anytime he said more than 10 words in a row, it was something that needed to be heard and followed. That was certainly true in this case. Behind the stone-cold façade Casey showed lurked someone who truly did care, perhaps more than any other agent she knew, even Bryce. Their relationship got off on the rockiest of starts, but she found out over and over again Casey really did care about the people that work with him. He also cared for that asset he helped her protect more than anything he had done before. He covered for Sarah on several occasions when she let her feelings for Chuck interfere with her duties. He backed her against Agent Forrest when General Beckman tried to have her reassigned. He even returned from halfway around the world to save Ellie's wedding from a Fulcrum attack. One of the biggest regrets Sarah ever had was not trusting him to join her in ignoring Beckman's orders and rescuing Stephen Bartowski from the underground Fulcrum lab. She never realized how much it hurt him they didn't have the faith in him to differentiate between orders and doing what was right. She never dared to make that mistake since.

"_People will surprise you sometimes." From the source himself, right John? ,_she thought.

She got up and stood behind him. Something compelled her to put her hands on his shoulders as a show of support. He gave her a gentle grunt and shrugged his shoulders, as if to say he would be OK and not to worry about him. She brushed some imaginary lint off of his shirt…she did that to guys. At least the ones she cared about.

"Thanks, Casey."

"Anytime, Walker."

Sarah went to the stairwell to the Orange Orange. As she was about to take the first step up, she turned back to Casey.

"I never asked you what you thought of Chuck and me being together in a real relationship, and I should have long ago."

"Walker, I'm in no mood to discuss your lady feelings…"

"John, I really need to know."

Casey looked at her. He could tell this was Sarah talking to him instead of Agent Walker. The two distinct personalities from the same woman used to be something of a bane to his existence. Agent Walker was easily the best partner he ever had in his career. She was someone who never let him down and was extremely skilled in the field. Sarah, on the other hand, seemed to develop out of her feelings toward Chuck. Those same feelings got her in trouble and even jeopardized the mission a few times. However, learned to seek that balance between her job and her emotions. It was also Sarah who was a lot more concerned about him as a friend, even more than as a partner. That sort of loyalty was not something he came across in his line of work.

"You've done a very capable job and you haven't let it interfere with your work in a long time."

"But you don't approve?"

"I don't like looking at it. But if I really had problems with two people wanting to be happy, wouldn't I betray everything I've worked for in the last twenty years?"

Sarah smiled at him. "Life, liberty, and all that?"

"Affirmative."

"Thanks, John." Sarah turned back towards the stairs.

"Slade was right about one thing, Walker."

"What's that?"

"You DO look like a Barbie doll. That would certainly explain Chuck from the waist down."

Sarah should have been insulted, but she knew this was Casey's way of returning some distance between him and her. She actually expected it at some point. It was something Casey needed, so she always let it slide. Unless she had a good comeback.

Sarah walked back to the table near Casey. "Huh."

"What?"

She pointed to a spot by Casey's arm. "I didn't realize the table had a mark from when Chuck and I had sex on it."

Casey looked up with his eyes flaring. She put on her biggest grin.

"Gotcha!" She hurried up the stairs, leaving Casey to growl.

_**Buy More  
October 22, 2009  
11:15 AM**_

Sarah walked into the Buy More carrying a small bag with the Orange Orange logo on it. She passed by the Nerd Herd desk, where Jeff, Lester, and Anna were standing around.

"Hi guys," Sarah greeted them as she headed to Jimmy's office. The three of them watched her walk to the back.

"Wow, the women just won't leave the boss alone," Jeff observed.

Anna was positively aglow from her night on the town with Morgan. "Oh, I think I can resist him. Morgan and I had a…good talk last night." She figured it was best to limit the details of her amazing night, lest the two morons pepper her for days with demands for every little detail.

"Well, I have no reason to feel like less of a man," Lester beamed. "I had a wonderful date the other night. That lady was very classy and a whole lot of fun."

"Oh, really?" Anna asked. "This could be something serious?"

"Nah, never heard back from her. Maybe I was just…too much man."

Sarah stood at the door to Jimmy's office and knocked gently. Jimmy was his usual over-caffeinated self at the computer trying to work. He looked up and had a none-too-pleased expression on his face when he saw who it was. Moreover, he was sporting a respectable black eye from Sarah's hook the prior night.

"Hi there," Sarah opened the conversation, trying to smile sweetly. Jimmy just stared with the same expression on his face. Sarah reached into the bag and pulled out a cup of frozen yogurt.

"White chocolate mousse. Or at least the closest thing the Orange Orange has to it. Your favorite flavor when you went to Illinois, wasn't it?"

Jimmy's eyes didn't change, but the side of his mouth started curling up in a smile. His posture softened. She waved the frozen yogurt to encourage a full smile out of him.

And it worked. Jimmy exhaled, the smile now completely across his face. "Bitch."

He held his hand out. Sarah triumphantly placed a spoon in the frozen yogurt and put the cup in his hand. He leaned back in his chair and nudged the chair next to his desk, indicating for Sarah to sit down.

"How's Casey?" he asked.

"He's fine. Awesome took care of it. But he's benched for 48 hours."

"Benched?"

Sarah explained Devon's involvement. "Devon found out about all of us around the time of his wedding. Ellie still doesn't know. He promised to keep it a secret, but then he really wanted to do his part to help. He agreed to take care of us if we got injured and to keep quiet about it. However, we had to promise to follow what he says if we're too banged up to work."

Jimmy sampled the frozen yogurt and nodded in approval. He then looked at the cup quizzically.

"The CIA actually knows my favorite flavor of frozen yogurt?"

"As part of that experiment, they knew a lot about you. All the way down to your video rentals."

Jimmy's face started to get a little red. "Uh, next topic, please."

Sarah mercifully moved on to a question she had. "So how did you explain the black eye to everybody?"

"Oh, I just told them I was at a bar last night and defended some woman who was getting hit by her boyfriend, and he got in a lucky shot." Jimmy was starting to get embarrassed by the lies he had to tell the employees. "I think they're going to build a statue of me outside."

Sarah shook her head and looked at the ground. "I am so sorry for hitting you last night. I completely lost my head. I was mad at you for not thinking about yourself when I should have been thankful you saved Chuck and me. Again. I should know better than anybody what things are like for you."

Jimmy gave her a sympathetic smile. "Nah, you just did what I'm sure a lot of people wanted to do to me for many years. I should come up with ideas that are a bit more practical. Or at the very least leave far less emotional scarring."

"Oh, come on. You were phenomenal up there. How long have you known you could sing that well?"

Jimmy was quiet for a moment. Having people asking him about his life was a new experience. "I used to hang out in this bar in Atlanta a few years back when I worked there as a data analyst. Always sat at a bar stool and got waited on by the same bartender, Allison. Of course, I tipped at least 50-60% every time I was there, so she was always glad to see me come in. They had a band there one night where people could go up and sing any song they wanted. As a joke, she put my name on the list. The band wouldn't continue until I went up there because Allison told them not to. I sang _Mony, Mony_ and the crowd seemed to like it. That's how it started."

Sarah laughed. "We could have used you at Ellie and Devon's wedding. You would have been a much better choice to delay the wedding than Jeffster! was. Compared to them, you're Bruce Springsteen. Well, I should look on the bright side. I was in a shootout with bad guys the whole time. Imagine having to sit in the church and get the full experience of those two."

Jimmy bristled at the thought. Dealing with them at the Buy More was bad enough. "Aaah, I'd rather not. So what's next for ridding the world of Jimmy Slade? Or at least your little corner of it?"

"It's best to lay low for now. We'll come up with something, but you can stay with us at this point. However, I'll need you to do one thing."

"What's that?"

"You have to change the way you think and let us help you. It might be our fault for putting you in this and I know you have no reason to trust anybody, but you have to realize how important and valuable you are."

"Yeah, I'm the guy with the big filing cabinet for a noggin," Jimmy muttered in disgust.

"No!" Sarah was starting to get aggravated. "Did the Intersect help you swing from a rope and crash through a window to save the two people who were hanging on to you? Did the Intersect help you tackle a dozen armed agents? Or help you stare down someone pointing a gun at your head in the middle of a hostage situation? That's just a lot of data in your 'noggin'. The rest of it is all you. Do you not get that?"

"Sarah, there's nothing special about me. It's survival. That's all."

Sarah vehemently shook her head. "Uh-uh. There is no way you're getting away with saying that. Do you really think I'll let you write off saving our lives three times in the last week as 'nothing special'? Most of the agents I worked with don't even have a tenth of the courage you have. Maybe nobody ever told you these things. Maybe you never even believed them yourself. But that doesn't mean they're not true. We were there for it. We're still alive because of it."

"I'm no agent, Sarah. I just happened to be there when somebody needed help."

"First of all, quit downplaying what you did. It's pissing me off. Secondly, that was the point I wanted to make. I trained with the CIA for four years while I was at Harvard. Casey has over twenty years of experience from the Army and the NSA. You've picked all this up on your own. If you're this good now, can you imagine how good you'd be if you went through formal training? If you got in shape and went through the one-year reciprocal training program with the CIA, you could end up a better operative than either of us. With all of your knowledge, you'd be a bona fide James Bond."

"That's all well and good. But there's no way to get rid of my Intersect. I wouldn't do a whole lot of good as an agent if I have to stop and take an aspirin every five minutes."

"Maybe we can get the Intersect out of your head. That might be a possibility. I can't promise you anything, but will you let me try?"

Jimmy was skeptical about this. "The people who put this thing into my head in the first place are now willing to take it out?"

"You don't have to trust them. Just trust me."

Jimmy looked at her a moment. He spent his entire life trying to survive and wasn't particularly good at it. But was Sarah right? Could the Intersect be taken out? Could he be an agent? He had to admit the whole "James Bond" thing sounded tempting, although Sarah was probably exaggerating about that. Still, these were the first people who were willing to take a chance with him. Maybe they knew something he didn't. Perhaps it was time to trust someone, and these three certainly earned that right.

He quietly nodded. "OK, I'll do it."

"Thanks. I'll go set it up."

Sarah got up to leave, and Jimmy rose as well, still not able to shake those old-school manners. Sarah stopped, went back to Jimmy, and wrapped her arms around him. Jimmy was a bit surprised but returns the hug. She gripped him tightly, forgetting for one moment to look at him like an asset and looking at him as a friend instead.

"Thank you for saving Chuck's life," she whispered in his ear. She gave a little laugh. "Well, mine too, of course. But especially Chuck's life. I don't know what I would do if anything ever happened to him."

"Not a problem. Glad to do it."

As usual, Casey was right. Sarah still wasn't accustomed to the fact people cared about her. Her mission in Burbank had changed a lot of her perspective regarding this job. Morgan, Ellie, and Devon treated her like family more than her actual family ever did. Bryce finally realized, and supported, that she wanted to be with Chuck more than anything else. Casey went from being a fierce enemy to one of her staunchest allies. Now she had a six-foot teddy bear willing to take bullets for her without hesitation. Most of all, the person she was originally assigned to protect became the love of her life. Really, was it such a bad thing to have people care about you?

"You're not going to go all _Good Will Hunting_ and keep telling me it's not my fault, are you?"

Jimmy's line brought Sarah back to reality. Sarah looked up and realized she held onto the hug a little longer than she planned. She laughed into Jimmy's shoulder and kissed him on the cheek.

"Sorry. I guess I'm not used to doing that. But I figured it would eventually come down to either shooting you or giving you a hug."

"Ah," Jimmy replied and looked at her for a second. "I bet a part of you would still prefer the shooting option."

Sarah broke up laughing. She gave Jimmy a playful slap on his arm. "I should really go, then. I'm still armed."

"Get lost, ya knucklehead," Jimmy's mischievous tone got her moving. Jimmy sat down at his computer. For the first time in a long time, work was the last thing on his mind. The future was.

_**Zork Computer Consultants  
October 22, 2009  
1:00 PM**_

Sarah walked into the office. Morgan was indulging in another free lunch at the Buy More. Chuck walked up to the front of the office.

"What's up?" he asked.

"Do you think your father could help us with something?"

"I don't know. He's very skittish about the government contacting him for favors."

"No, I mean you. Do you think you could ask him to help Jimmy get rid of his Intersect?"

"He wants to get rid of it?"

"I had a long talk with him. I think he's ready for it. It's also better for him. It'll help him have a little more control over his life. Once it's out, I think he might be willing to join the CIA in some capacity. It would be very easy to give him whatever life he wanted at that point. Instead of protecting him, he could help protect others. You have to admit, he's got a pretty good resume built on that."

Chuck smiled. "Very true. If he continues at the pace he's going, they'll have to fit him for tights and a cape. Although I'd prefer he finish the training first. I mean, not a lot of people can pull off that look."

Sarah gave him a seductive look. "Oh, I can think of one or two who could."

"Oh, really? Hmmm, I do owe you for the Princess Leia costume."

"Good. Could you get a Batman costume, size 38 long? Casey would be smokin' hot in that."

Chuck started laughing hysterically. Sarah had been with him for way too long.

_**Buy More  
October 22, 2009  
2:30 PM**_

Jimmy had been staring at the same file on the computer since Sarah left. He was in unfamiliar territory. Actually, the events of the past week were one long, continuous, new experience for him. He still couldn't even wrap his head around everything that happened. One moment he was teaching a class in spreadsheets. The next, he had people who were trying to kill him while others were calling him a hero. He had a hard time accepting either of those things. He spent the last twenty years just trying to survive.

But he couldn't do that anymore. Suddenly he was fighting for his life and his future. Two things that nobody ever cared much about, especially him. But now there were people who cared about it. They were offering him an opportunity he never thought he deserved. A life in which Sarah thought he would excel. She just needed him to trust her.

_Trust. What was that line from "Risky Business?" "If there was any logic to our language, trust would be a four-letter word." How apropos in my case._

He thought he should trust them. They seemed to believe in him. Well, Chuck and Sarah did, anyway. He never gave thought to what he had the potential to be. But suddenly, he was very interested in finding out.

Jimmy was still lost in thought when Big Mike walked into the office.

"Hey, you OK, Anthony?"

Jimmy stared at the wall for another minute, and then he turned to Big Mike. "Do you think it's possible to completely change your life when you're so used to living a certain way?"

"Huh. I don't know. I would think so. I've had a lot of changes myself the last year."

"Maybe it's too late to change. No matter what happens, you can't get back what has already happened to you."

"Oh, no," Big Mike quickly replied. "There's no such thing as 'too late'. You always have another chance in life. And it doesn't matter if you can't erase the past, as long as you actually decide to go another direction that makes you happy, that will be enough."

Big Mike suddenly stared at Jimmy in surprise. "Wait a second. I thought that was your philosophy in life."

Jimmy's eyes widened slightly. He forgot he was supposed to be in character as a motivational trainer and manager.

"Oh, oh, right. Of course," Jimmy stammered out, trying to cover himself. "Hey, it's never too late to start anew!" He gave Big Mike a cheesy grin.

Jimmy's mobile phone beeped. He looked at the text message on it.

_Need to see you at Zork. Sarah._

Jimmy quickly spoke up. "Oh, shoot. I just forgot the meeting with the Apple people. I'm going to see if they can get us a sample of the $99 iPhone. Keep an eye on the place for me, will you?"

"You got it."

Jimmy exited the office and headed out of the store. He walked across the parking lot to Zork. As he entered, he saw Chuck and Sarah with looks of worry on their faces. He put one and one together quickly and reached for his gun. Two Ring agents entered the store. One put a gun to Jimmy's head while the other tooks his weapons. Two other agents appeared from behind the shelves with their guns pointed at Chuck and Sarah. Jimmy was mad at himself for being duped so easily.

"Still think I'd be a good agent, Sarah?"


	9. Mr Todd's Wild Ride

**And another chapter to the story. This one deviates quite a bit from the original script if you had read it. Again, please feel free to leave some feedback. I'm trying to add a little more Charah to the story, I swear. :-) Anyway, authors like to know how they're doing, and I am certainly no exception. Feel free to write what you want.**

**Chapter 10 will take some work because most of it will be brand new. Have patience.**

_**Zork Computer Consultants  
October 22, 2009  
3:00 PM**_

Chuck, Sarah, and Jimmy were standing together by Morgan's reception desk with four Ring agents surrounding them and their guns aimed at the trio. Sarah looked back and forth, attempting to survey the situation for any opportunity to take advantage. Chuck, in spite of being in far worse situations than this, still had a look of worry on his face. Jimmy was about ready to explode. If it wasn't for risking Chuck and Sarah, he probably would have attacked all four of the agents and not cared if he made it out alive. He was still upset with himself for getting deceived by a simple text message.

Alicia Grant and Emmanuel Murphy walked into the office. Grant's self-satisfied grin was mixed in with a look of utter contempt. She walked directly up to Jimmy, who was standing in the middle between Chuck and Sarah.

"Well, well. The years have not been kind to you, Jimmy. Not that you were in any good shape when I saw you in the NCSA. I'm sure the university was glad when you left. It gave them a chance to save money on their food budget."

The snide insults were all Jimmy needed to remember who this woman was.

"Uh-huh. You haven't changed. By the way, did you ever get around to sleeping with the other half of the football team yet? I'm surprised they played as well as they did, since you probably gave all of them a social disease."

Chuck and Sarah glanced toward Jimmy, surprised at the venom with which his words were laced.

"And I thought Casey could be nasty," observed Chuck.

Jimmy pointed disdainfully at Grant. "Alicia Grant here was the student liaison for the project back in 1990. She was the one who organized the test cases, help record data, et cetera. She was the "public face" of the project. I do recall her being quite the stuck-up bitch back then. Betraying her country must have been like a promotion to her. It's probably the first job she ever had that didn't require kneepads."

There was a fiery look of anger in Grant's eyes. She took a gun from one of the agents, cocked it, and pointed it directly at Jimmy's head. He didn't flinch…or even change his breathing pattern, despite the wide-eyed looks from Chuck and Sarah. Grant gave a slight smile and lowered the gun.

"Well, you certainly aren't a sniveling little worm anymore. I'll give you that."

"If you really think you can scare me, you're as dumb as you were back at Illinois. Hell, I would have had more respect if you pulled the trigger. My only regret would have been not getting the chance to give you the finger when you did."

Grant took the gun and pistol-whipped Jimmy. Chuck caught him before he fell. He rose again, dazed but otherwise unflinching. The look on Jimmy's face would have scared Casey.

"I hope you enjoyed that. It'll be the last time you ever get to do it."

"Fortunately for you, my bosses need you alive. Although there is a lot of latitude in how alive you need to be. But there's a potential added bonus."

Grant looked at Sarah. "We know all about you, Agent Walker, so we have no use for you." She stepped past Jimmy and stood in front of Chuck. "But you…we don't know a lot about you yet. Just a few names. And there's no way Felicity Shagwell and Fat Bastard here could have defeated so many agents without some help. So I think you'll take the journey with us. This should prove to be an interesting research project."

Grant turned to the other agents. "Put them in the van. Once we're gone, find a secluded spot and kill her. We'll come back for Colonel Casey later. I'm sure Murphy would like to personally thank him for killing two of his friends."

Grant and Murphy walked out of the office. Two of the agents keep their guns pointed at Sarah while a third handcuffed Jimmy and took him to the door. The last agent stayed behind Chuck with his gun drawn. Sarah glanced to her right. By the fax machine, she spotted two mobile phones; one red and one blue. Each phone had a small red toggle switch on the outside. She had to act fast.

"Can I at least say goodbye to my boyfriend?"

The agents relented but kept their guns pointed at her. She walks behind the desk and gave Jimmy a look. He caught it and started coughing profusely to get the agents' attention. She palmed both phones and keeps them out of sight as she walked to Chuck. Chuck's worried look subsided when he looked into Sarah's calm eyes.

"Is everything going to be OK?" he nervously asked.

"It will," was her placid reply. She pulled him down to her and gave him a long, loving kiss. Her hand slid down his back. She slipped the blue phone into his back pocket, flipping the red toggle switch to "on" before it dropped inside. She held his face in her hands.

"If you get the chance, call your sister and tell her that you love her. She's having fun down at Disney World with Awesome."

Chuck smiled as he was handcuffed. The agent led him to the door where Jimmy was already standing.

Sarah turned to him. "Jimmy, you're a wonderful singer. I just wish you would have done that Tommy Tutone song. It would have brought the house down."

Jimmy gave her a knowing smile. "Next time. I do take requests."

The two agents took Chuck and Jimmy outside. The other two agents led Sarah to the door. She kept the red mobile phone hidden. Chuck and Jimmy were placed in the back of a black cargo van. The back doors of the van were locked. All of the windows were tinted so they could not be seen from the outside. There was a divider separating the front seats of the van from the cargo area. The van drove away.

Chuck and Jimmy sat on the floor of the van with their backs to each other. They felt the van speed up, indicating they were on the freeway. The road noise covered their conversation.

"OK, I'm assuming Sarah has a plan of some sort here," Jimmy said. "That, or she has no problems whatsoever making out with you."

"She slipped something in my back pocket, but I don't know what. Can you reach it?"

Jimmy tried to reach Chuck's pocket, but the handcuffs were too restrictive. "I don't suppose you have a metal wire or anything to pick these cuffs, do you?"

"Sorry, I left my kit at the locksmith's office," was Chuck's sarcastic reply.

Jimmy rolled his eyes, not believing he asked such a stupid question. "OK, we do this the hard way."

Biting his lower lip, Jimmy located the small bone Casey showed him in his thumb. He broke his right thumb and slipped his right hand out of the cuff. Chuck heard the crack.

"Did you just do what I think you just did? Holy crap, you ARE crazy! Are you hurt?"

"Only my sex life," Jimmy seethed as he winced in pain. "Let's see what Sarah gave you."

Jimmy reached into Chuck's back pocket and pulled out the blue mobile phone. He looked at it in confusion for a second. He then remembered what Sarah said at Zork. He pulled out a mobile phone from the vest pocket in his coat.

"Thank God they didn't look for this phone after they got my other one. I lose one of these things every six months. What's the area code for Burbank? 818 or 310?"

"818, why?" Chuck turned around to see what Jimmy was doing.

"She needs us to call a number. Remember, she said Tommy Tutone?"

Chuck got a huge smile on his face. They sing it together.

"867-5309!"

Jimmy dialed the number.

Sarah was led to an unmarked sedan at gunpoint. The red mobile phone was still hidden in her hands. She quietly turned on the red toggle switch. One of the agents opened the back door of the sedan and took out handcuffs. The mobile phone began to ring. Sarah tossed it into the air and dove into the back of the sedan. The two agents looked up at the phone, which exploded with an intense light. The flash grenade blinded the two agents. Sarah leaped out of the car and landed a hook on each, knocking them out. She retrieved their weapons, found her mobile phone and took the car keys. She got into the car and drove off.

Jimmy looked under the pad lining the floor of the cargo van and found a piece of wire. He quickly picked the lock on Chuck's handcuffs. He then handed the wire to Chuck, who picked the remaining cuff on Jimmy's left wrist.

"Whatever that was, I hope it worked for her." Jimmy picked up the blue mobile phone. "OK, she also said you should call Ellie in Walt Disney World."

"Of course! Ellie's number with area code 407!" Chuck grabbed Jimmy's phone from the ground and dials the number. Jimmy looked at the blue mobile phone. Suddenly, his eyes went wide.

"NOT YET!"

The phone began to ring. Jimmy jumped to the front of the cargo area and slipped the phone over the divider into the front of the van. He then dove to the back of the van and covered his head. Chuck got the idea and fell on top of him, covering his own head as well.

The flash grenade went off in the front of the van. A bright light was emitted from the front, which could be seen around the edges of the divider. The van started careening out of control. Chuck and Jimmy were thrown about in the back of the van. Jimmy's head hit the side wall.

"Oh, THAT was stupid!"

Sarah sped down the freeway. She quickly dialed a number on her mobile phone, thankful The Ring didn't remove Chuck's watch.

"Walker, secure line. Emergency. Need satellite recon. Track GPS locator, code Alpha-Zeta-Gamma-42776. Tracking should be a black cargo van. Two assets inside. Hurry!"

Jimmy tried to crawl to the front of the van. The van lurched left, and Jimmy was thrown into the door, breaking the windows of the van. The van lurched right, and Jimmy was thrown to the other side. Chuck tried to get to his knees, but he continued to roll around at the back of the van. Jimmy tried to get to his feet. The van lurched hard to the left and Jimmy was thrown into the side doors. The impact forced the doors open, and Jimmy was thrown outside. He reached up to grab the window frame, and the door swung out. He slammed into the side of the van. On the outside. He desperately tried to hang on.

"CHUCK!"

Chuck rolled onto his stomach and spread his arms out to regain control. He got to his hands and knees. He tried crawling to the door and grabbing it, but the door kept flopping back and forth. He reached out further and almost fell out of the van when it suddenly veered left. He grabbed the frame of the door to pull himself back in. Jimmy had both arms through the window frame and desperately tried to hang on.

"Get to the driver!" Jimmy shouted over the squealing tires and wind as the van weaved back and forth at 60 miles per hour.

Chuck reached for the small door between the front seats in the divider. "It's locked!"

"Get back!" Jimmy waved him to the back of the van. Looping his right arm through the window frame and straddling the door with his legs, Jimmy reached down the front of his pants and pulled out a small gun. He tried firing at the door lock but kept missing because of the lurching van. Two bullets found their way through the divider and through each of the agents sitting in the front. The van hit a pothole, and Jimmy's left hand hit the broken glass around the window frame. He dropped the gun and screamed in pain as it fell out of the van and onto the freeway.

"Son of a bitch! Did I lose a hundred IQ points all of a sudden?"

Chuck crawled back to the front. "Where the hell did you get a gun?"

"I keep it down the front of my pants so it doesn't get found in a patdown." Chuck stared at him. "What? Did you think I was just happy to see you?"

The door flopped back into the side of the van, and Jimmy banged his head against it.

"Cut that out, you bastard!" Jimmy yelled at the van.

From behind, Jimmy heard the sound of a car horn beeping incessantly. He turned to look into the traffic. He spotted a sedan speeding towards them. He noticed a tuft of blonde hair flying in the wind from the driver's seat. He shook his head.

"Aaah, hell. Now we're in trouble."

Chuck was incredulous. "NOW we're in trouble? What the hell were we in before? A mild predicament?"

"It's your better half!"

"Aaah, hell. Now we're in trouble."

Sarah drove up to the side of the van where Jimmy was hanging outside.

"What the hell are you doing out there?"

"Are you REALLY gonna ask me that question right now? Hold the car steady!"

Jimmy reached up to grab the top of the van to steady himself. He then planted his feet against the side and pushed off to leap onto the roof of the sedan. However, he started sliding off of it from the momentum. He planted his hand on the door handle to stop from falling. Sarah lowered the passenger window to give him a better place to grip.

He poked his head in the window. "Thank you." He pushed himself back onto the roof. He was spread-eagled on the roof of the car, hanging on to the frame.

"The van is out of control. I have to get back to it!" he shouted to Sarah.

"How did that happen?"

"Oh, sure! You have enough time to stick your tongue down your boyfriend's throat, but you couldn't take two seconds to tell us what that phone did?"

"You weren't supposed to trigger that in the VAN!"

"Fine! Chew my ass out later! Just get me to the passenger door of the van!"

Sarah sped up to move forward of the van. Jimmy hung on to one side of the car while sliding his legs around to the front. He plants his feet on the hood of the car while desperately trying to hang on. Sarah lined him up with the passenger door of the van. Jimmy tried to stand up on the hood of the car while hanging on to the roof of the car with one hand.

"Are you sure you know what you're doing?" Sarah shouted.

Jimmy gave her a weird look. "Oh, of course! Every kid who grew up in Chicago knows how to surf!"

Jimmy bent slightly, waiting for the right moment. The van straightened briefly, and Jimmy leaped. His left hand grabbed the door handle while he grabbed the rear-view mirror with the right…which promptly broke off. He fell backward. Sarah gunned the car, and Jimmy was able to grab the roof of the sedan with his right hand before falling. He got his footing on the van's floorboards.

"Walker with the assist!" Jimmy was able to hold on to the van. He covered his hand with his coat sleeve and tried to smash the window. He recoiled in pain, forgetting his thumb was already broken. Sarah moved the car closer to the passenger door.

"Duck!"

Jimmy ducked down, and Sarah fired two shots at the window to shatter it.

"Thanks again!" Jimmy cleared the remaining glass and unlocked the door. He opened the door and waved Sarah away.

"Corpse!"

Jimmy pulled the dead agent out of the van and crawled inside. He unlocked the door in the divider between the front and the back of the van. He pulled the driver out of his seat.

"Let's go. Come on."

Chuck pulled himself forward using the now-open door in the divider. He did a double-take when the dead driver fell into the doorway. He gingerly dragged him through the door. Jimmy moved over to the driver's seat, and Chuck got in front of the van, sitting in the passenger's seat.

Jimmy steered the van under control and tried the brakes. They didn't respond. "Oh, of course the brakes don't work! That would be too easy!"

"Try throwing it into park," Chuck suggested.

Jimmy threw the gearshift into park, and the van skidded to the left. It started tipping over.

"Whoah!" the two said in sync. Jimmy put the van back in drive and threw the wheel hard to the right. The van straightened itself. He then steered it back under control.

"Why can't the bad guys ever buy a decent van?" Chuck asked in exasperation. Jimmy shook his head.

"OK, I can put it in neutral, but we need an uphill grade to slow us down."

The two looked ahead in the highway. The freeway's grade started going downward. They both sat back in their seats and shake their heads.

"It's like we're caught in the middle of every bad action movie cliché," Chuck said.

"We have to jump, then. Tell Sarah to line up with the side doors."

Chuck waved Sarah up to his window. "Sarah! The brakes don't work. We have to jump! Get close to the van."

Chuck started to go through the divider and then stopped. "Wait, how do you get out and keep the van steady?"

Jimmy looked around for something to keep the steering wheel steady. "I don't know, my charming personality?"

"Why not loop the seatbelt through the steering wheel?"

Jimmy looked back at the seatbelt. "OK, better than nothing. Get going."

Chuck went to the cargo area of the van. Sarah lined up the hood of the car with the doors. Chuck grabbed the frame of the van, leaned forward, and jumped onto the hood of the car. He grabbed the hood, and Sarah reached out to hang on to him. She drove forward to align the trunk of the car with the doors.

"Jimmy, let's go!" Chuck shouted.

Jimmy slid out of the driver's seat while holding onto the steering wheel. He pulled the seatbelt through the steering wheel and buckled it. He stepped through the divider and looked behind him at the freeway. His mouth dropped open in shock. Chuck saw Jimmy's expression and looked behind him to see the road ahead. He got the same stunned look.

All four lanes of traffic were stopped a mile ahead.

"Oh, COME ON! Can't I catch ONE GODDAMN BREAK TODAY?" He unbuckled the seatbelt from the steering wheel and got back in the driver's seat. He quickly looked around for a solution. The shoulder was too narrow on the left side of the freeway. He looked to the right. The next off-ramp was closed for rebuilding. Jimmy honked the horn and waved Chuck and Sarah back.

"Back away! Move off!"

Sarah moved the car back. Jimmy steered the van towards the right lanes. He narrowly avoided several cars in the other lanes as he drove onto the right shoulder. Sarah followed behind him. Once on the shoulder, she stopped the car momentarily to allow Chuck to get inside. Sarah floored it to catch up with Jimmy.

The van continued towards the off-ramp. Jimmy unlocked the driver-side door. The van crashes through several construction barriers and sent debris flying everywhere.

"And I don't even get to make out with Sandra Bullock after this," Jimmy lamented as he opened the door.

The van crashed through a concrete barrier and flew through a gap in the ramp. It plummeted one hundred feet to the ground below. The van exploded, sending a fireball up to the uncompleted ramp.

Sarah stopped the car, and both Sarah and Chuck ran to the edge of the ramp. They looked down at the van, which was now completely engulfed in flames. They stared at it in shock. They were speechless.

Forty feet behind the edge of the ramp, Jimmy struggled to get up. His knees were wobbling as he staggered to the edge of the ramp holding his head. He stood next to Chuck and Sarah, who were too shocked to notice him. He stared at them briefly before looking over the edge of the ramp, too.

"Dammit. I left my phone in the van. It was a nice one, too. Touch screen and everything."

Chuck and Sarah turned towards him and .

"How did you…I thought you had…" Chuck stammered as Sarah and he held on to him.

"I…jumped out of the van? Wasn't that what I was supposed to do?"

Chuck and Sarah guided him away from the edge of the ramp, but he gently shook their hands away.

"I'm fine. Don't worry about me."

Sarah eyes widened. "Uh, are you absolutely sure you're OK? You're bleeding from ten different places and your eyes look glazed over."

Jimmy shrugged in an unfocused haze. "Never better. Don't worry about me."

Jimmy took two steps forward under his own power…and fell flat on his face. Chuck and Sarah gasped and gently pulled him up.

"Why did the ground hit me?" Jimmy asked without having a clue where he was. "Did I piss it off?"

"No, buddy. Of course not. Everybody loves you," Chuck gently replied as Sarah and he steered Jimmy back to the car.


	10. How to Make Hospital Food Taste Better

_OK, I said that this chapter would feature a lot of new material. Due to me coming up with a few new ideas, the ENTIRE chapter is completely new material (including what I hope is some high quality Charah), and most of Chapter 11 will be as well. Please feel free to comment. I'm flying blind right now trying to figure out if the characters are acting the way they should. Please leave lots of feedback. Good/bad/ugly, it all works for me. I might even throw a little bone to the Casey/Ellie 'shippers next chapter. :-D_

_On the good side, I'm well into writing the next chapter. Given what happens in this one, it won't surprise you to see why._

_Enjoy!_

_**

* * *

Westside Medical Center  
October 22, 2009  
8:00 PM**_

Chuck and Sarah sat outside of an examination room, waiting for an update from Devon about Jimmy. After the ambulance dropped him off at the hospital, Chuck and Sarah went to Jimmy's hotel to collect some clothes and a few other items for him, just in case he had to stay in the hospital. Chuck thought flowers would be a good idea, but they settled for getting him a copy of the paper and a couple of magazines instead.

Both were exhausted from the day's events. Chuck looked over his shoulder at the door to the examination room every 10 seconds.

"Chuck, he'll be fine. He walked into the ambulance himself. I think it's pretty obvious he can take quite a lot of punishment."

"I know. I just get nervous these days being in a hospital. I have a sister and a brother-in-law who are both doctors, but that still doesn't help. Ellie was in here once, then you, and now Jimmy. That's a few too many people ending up in here because of me."

"Not because of you. The Ring was after Jimmy. They don't know any more about you than they already did. More importantly, we escaped."

"Only because we befriended someone who must have been a stuntman in a previous life."

Sarah smiled at that. "Well, that's not exactly how the plan was supposed to work. The 'if you get a chance' part could have been explained a little better."

Chuck looked at her with a wide grin on his face. "When you were sticking your tongue down your boyfriend's throat, right?"

Sarah started cracking up. "I did NOT have my tongue down your throat. OK, if the kiss went on any longer, maybe." She laughed even harder when Chuck gave her an eyebrow dance.

The door to the examination room opened and Devon came out. Chuck and Sarah stood up.

"How is he, Devon?" Chuck asked nervously.

"He should be fine. It took a while to get him stitched up, and we want to keep him here for a day or two, just to be on the safe side. We have a neurologist coming tomorrow to give him a CT scan and a few other tests to make sure there is no permanent head trauma. I also want to put him through a cardio scan or two. The nurse said his blood pressure was pretty high. Probably a combination of age, stress, and weight. I want to make sure he gets something for that."

Chuck exhaled in relief. "Can we talk to him?"

"Only for a few minutes. He has a lot of pain from both the injuries and all the suturing I had to do. I gave him something to help him sleep, so he's about ready to call it a night. They'll be moving him upstairs to a room in a little while."

"Thanks, Devon. I really appreciate all of your help."

"Anytime, bro. Anybody who meets the Chuck and Sarah standard is OK in my book."

Chuck knocked lightly on the door and opened it slowly. He looked in to see Jimmy on the examination table. His eyes were half-open, and his head was partly-shaven on the left side where Devon stitched him back together. He had several bandages down his left arm and one on his wrist. His right hand was also bandaged. He was fumbling about with the hospital-issue gown, which was clearly too small for him. He tried to cover himself as best as he can. Chuck pushed the door the rest of the way open and walked in.

"Hey there. Just wanted to check in with you and see how you're doing."

Jimmy's speech was slow and slurred. "Hi, Chuck. Awesome wants to bring back the punk rock look and thought I'd be a good place to start. Just trying to…" Jimmy saw Sarah enter the room. He tried to grab the sheets on the table to cover himself. "Aaah, hell. I don't want you to see me like this, Sarah. Shoo! Wait outside."

"Oh, come on, Jimmy. You don't have anything I haven't seen a hundred times."

"I know that. I just have a helluva lot more of it! Cut me some slack. Even _**I**_ don't want to see me naked. I can't even lie on the beach. People keep trying to push me back into the water."

Chuck couldn't stop laughing. Banged up as Jimmy was, and he was still cracking jokes. You had to love the guy.

"What about Devon? You had no problem with him being in here," Chuck asked him.

"He's a heart surgeon. He's probably had to cut open people who would make Jabba the Hutt look like a hottie. I had to throw out a gray suit once because someone painted Goodyear on my ass."

Chuck doubled over laughing, but Sarah gave Jimmy the evil eye.

"If you don't stop doing that, I won't give you this. I figured you'd want some of your own clothes while you were here." She held up the duffel bag with Jimmy's clothes in it.

"OK, OK. You win. You are a total sweetheart for doing that. Thank you. These hospital gowns are so much fun, aren't they? One size fits all, my ass." Sarah placed the bag next to Jimmy on the table.

"Probably best not to mention hospital gown and ass in the same sentence," Chuck quipped. Now Jimmy started laughing hard. He tried to cut himself off quickly.

"OK, probably not a good idea for stand-up night. I'm guessing Awesome will rip me a new one if any of these stitches come out. That is, if he can find a part of me that isn't ripped up already."

Jimmy sat back on the table. His eyelids kept getting heavier, but he continued to talk. "So are you two OK? I kind of forgot to ask earlier."

"We're fine, Jimmy," Chuck replied, not believing that Jimmy was more worried about them than he was about himself. "Just get some rest tonight, will you?"

"I don't think I have much of a say in that. Awesome stuck me with so many needles, I have this sudden desire to do the twist with Uma Thurman at Jack Rabbit Slim's. Thanks again for the change of clothes."

"We'll stop by tomorrow when they have you back in your room." Chuck went to shake his hand, but neither of Jimmy's hands was in any condition for that. He gave Jimmy a gentle hug.

"Thanks for today. I owe you big time."

"You don't owe me anything, man."

Sarah spoke up. "Ellie might check on you in the morning before your tests. Remember, it was a road rage incident with the guy in the van, as far as she is concerned."

Jimmy nodded with considerable effort. "I'll remember that. That is, if these drugs will let me."

Sarah gave a quick smile and kissed Jimmy on the cheek. "Get a good night's sleep."

Jimmy smiled weakly. "I will try. And probably succeed."

Chuck and Sarah exited the room as a nurse and two orderlies entered with a gurney.

_**Echo Park  
October 22, 2009  
10:00 PM**_

Chuck was tired earlier in the evening, but seeing Jimmy in a relatively good mood considering what happened today boosted his spirits. For whatever reason, he wasn't even freaked out at the day's events. That was a significant change from two years ago. He was afraid of his own shadow when all of this first started. He was still trying to get used to having a cache of government secrets in his head and tended to tuck tail between his legs and hide whenever terrorists or killers got near him. Sarah and Casey bailed him out of so many situations when he thought nobody could. Perhaps he grew accustomed to it. Perhaps he was influenced by how brave Sarah and Casey were. But somewhere down the line, he became more confident, even before upgrading to this new Intersect.

No, it was one thing. He loved Sarah, and he knew he had to do whatever it took to be with her. That task had become far more difficult than he ever realized. He thought he had to get rid of the Intersect. He thought he had to create some distance between the two of them so she could protect him to the best of her ability. He thought he had to do anything and everything the missions called for to keep the three one of the most successful teams the CIA and NSA had, thereby keeping them together.

But in the end he just needed to be patient. He just had to wait for her. He had to be caring and supportive. It was simply a matter of waiting for Sarah to realize what she truly wanted in life. And what she truly wanted in life was him.

Chuck walked to the bathroom, where Sarah was brushing her teeth in preparation for bed. He watched her silently for a moment, still not believing this woman was the one he wanted to spend the rest of his life with. He didn't even know she was his type at first, although he imagined she'd be every guy's type, as beautiful as she was. His own track record with women was limited to Jill. The way that ended…and was renewed…left him wondering if he was any good at relationships. Trying to pretend Sarah and he were dating was a torturous nightmare at the outset, mainly because he couldn't believe anyone that gorgeous would ever be with a guy like him. As it turned out, he was the only one who didn't believe it. Almost everybody else, at least the people who mattered, thought they made a great couple. Even Sarah's act was not entirely an act. Like any other couple, they had their ups and downs. The passionate kiss they shared right before they thought they would be killed by a bomb put him through emotions he never felt in his life, not even with Jill. The fallout that followedt…the return of Bryce, the incident on the boat, the night when Longshore almost took him away…put him through a hell he never wanted to feel again. But in the end, none of that mattered. He was here now, and so was she.

Sarah was brushing her teeth with a little more intensity than usual. Her posture seemed a little rigid as well. Chuck walked up behind her, and caressed her arms. He gently massaged her shoulders.

"How are you doing, baby?"

Sarah spit out the remaining water and dried her mouth off with a towel. "I'm good." Her head dropped from Chuck's ministrations on her shoulders. "Mmmmm, keep doing that. That feels so good."

"That's what I'm here for. I'm at your service."

Sarah enjoyed the massage for several moments. Suddenly she turned around. She took Chuck's face in her hands and roughly drew his lips to hers. She was caught up in a kiss from a location inside her she thought was under her control. It was a possessive place, a place that wanted to grab Chuck and never let him go. A place that pressed her body up against his and held him with all of her strength. It was a place that never wanted any moment for the rest of her life to be different than the moment she was in now.

Chuck was starting to feel some pain from how intensely Sarah was holding him. "Baby, baby. Are you OK?" He grabbed her face to hold it in place. He saw something in Sarah's eyes he hadn't seen in a long time: fear.

Sarah came back to the present. Her mind caught up to stop what her emotions were feeling. She buried her head in Chuck's chest, trying to stifle a tear she didn't want him to see.

"I'm sorry, Chuck. A little part of me is having a hard time of getting over what happened today. I almost lost you. It was complete luck you weren't captured. I guess that's difficult for me to accept."

Chuck held her face gently in his hands and gazed into those deep blue eyes. "Sarah, it wasn't luck at all. It was just bad luck The Ring found us. But you helped get us out of it. I don't know why I was ever worried. I never should have been. You knew to get us the phone, and you knew to clue Jimmy and me on what to do. Maybe it didn't go exactly the way it should have, but I knew you'd get us out of it. That's who you are, and that's what you can do."

Sarah ran her fingers through his hair and smiled. "Well, I don't think I did everything today. It's safe to say Jimmy was a big help."

"Uh-huh. And I said last night you just had to let him do what he does best. You did, and the two of you saved my life today." Chuck gently caressed her face. "Actually, you saved his life today, too. He would have been killed if it weren't for you. And I don't doubt he'll tell you that in the morning once he's feeling better."

She looked up at him with a tear in her eye again. But this time, it was a tear of joy. "If you're trying to make me feel better…it's working great."

Sarah held on tightly to Chuck. Being a good friend was never a weak spot for Chuck, not from day one. She had few friends in her life, and most of them were through the CIA. Not a single one of them treated her in the same way Chuck did. He always made her feel like much more than an agent. He always made her feel comfortable; more like who she was supposed to be. It was a side of her she didn't have much experience with, and it was a side that wasn't perfect, not by a mile. But it was a part of her that made her happy; one that let her enjoy life a lot more than she used to. And it was that side of her that gave her the courage to tell Chuck she loved him.

Sarah wrapped her arms around Chuck's neck and pulled herself up on him so their faces were level. She kissed him hard, hungry to taste his lips. Her fear was gone, and all that was left was her passion for the man in her arms.

"I love you so much." She stopped in between kisses to tell him what was in her heart.

Chuck's kisses increased in their passion as well. "I love you, Sarah." He held her at the waist while running his fingers through her hair. The passion of their kissing grew beyond control.

Chuck looked down at his attire in embarrassment, which was still dirty from their adventure on the freeway. "Sorry, I should have put on different clothes when I got home."

Sarah looked at him with barely-contained heat. "That won't be a problem in a minute."

She grabbed the back of his head to press his lips against hers again. She felt nothing else but his skin under her hands as her tongue explored his inside of their joined mouths. She didn't even notice him sweep her up in his arms and carry her to the bed. He almost never did that. Perhaps he was afraid a CIA agent would find that highly undignified and she would get offended. However, Agent Walker was gone for the night, and only Sarah remained. And Sarah wanted him to do that much more often. Sarah felt the bed press up behind her, and she wanted nothing more to roll on top of him. She was eager to remove those annoying clothes on him and feel his body against hers. She wanted this to last as long as possible. She kissed him with an out-of-control hunger as she ripped his shirt off and tossed her robe away.

_**Westside Medical Center  
October 23, 2009  
8:15 AM**_

Dr. Ellie Woodcomb was making her rounds on the 8th floor. She made it a point to visit Anthony today. She was very surprised when Devon mentioned treating him in the hospital, but he didn't give her many details. She knew he was in an auto accident but that was all. Given Chuck and Sarah had nothing but positive things to say about him, she thought it would be a good idea to make sure he had everything he needed.

She knocked on his hospital room door and entered. "Good morning, Anthony."

Jimmy looked up in surprise. Thankfully, he had been up for a couple of hours. It was more than enough time to eat some of the cereal and juice left for him. He wasn't particularly hungry, but it beat arguing with some of the prison guards cleverly disguised as nurses this hospital had. It also gave him enough time to get showered and into his own clothes. Although that took him much longer than he expected, thanks to all the bandages. Still, it was better than the nurses trying to bathe him. He still had the tiniest modicum of dignity, after all. And nurses don't get paid enough to endure a naked Jimmy Slade. Even he was grossed out by the image.

"Good morning, Doc."

"How are we feeling this morning?"

"Probably better than I look. Although I admit that's not saying much."

"Uh-huh. Sarah warned me about that." Ellie gave Jimmy a look that shut him up immediately. God only knows what she could write on his chart that the nurses would inject him with.

"Anyway, yeah. I'm doing better than I was last night."

Ellie looked at the information. "Any discomfort from the stitches? If they hurt or you're having trouble with them, we can apply a topical analgesic to help."

"Oh, they're fine. Thanks for offering."

Ellie hit a button behind the bed to summon a nurse. She took Jimmy's arm and inspected it. "Well, we should change the bandages. You look like you put the bandages through hell last night."

Jimmy took a look himself. The bandages did look torn in some places. Did he do that? He wasn't sure. He didn't get a full night of sleep. The drugs Devon gave him only lasted a few hours. The rest of the night's sleep was his usual restless self. He didn't want to share this information with Ellie, however.

"Oh, I don't know. Maybe I tossed and turned last night. I do that a lot."

"Well, you're pretty lucky. I don't know what you could have done to tick that driver off."

"Me neither. I'm a pretty good driver. I'm used to traffic like that growing up in Chicago. I can't think of a thing I did that would have upset him." He decided it would be best not to elaborate further. She certainly didn't need to know what happened to that driver.

"Dr. Mendoza should be here soon to conduct your CT scan. He's a friend of Devon's, but I'm surprised Devon was able to get him. He's one of the best neurologists in the city. He's either treating the ultra-rich or high school kids who get injured on the football field and can't afford it otherwise."

Jimmy shrugged. "I don't know, Doc. I'm certainly nobody special."

"That's not what Chuck and Sarah told me. They can't say enough nice things about you."

"Ah, and they say you can't bribe people anymore." He said it with a bit of a smirk so Ellie didn't think he was being serious.

"OK, I'll check in on you after you get back from the 3rd floor."

"Thanks, Doc."

Ellie headed out of the room as the nurse entered. "Make sure he gets the VIP treatment. He's a good friend of my brother's."

"Will do, Dr. Woodcomb," the nurse replied.

_**Echo Park  
October 23, 2009  
8:15 AM**_

Never in their entire relationship, cover or real, did Chuck and Sarah not want to move an inch. They were exhausted from the evening…and the night…and the early morning…of being together. Sarah was half-asleep at this point, not wanting to move from lying on Chuck, their bodies still bathed in sweat from such an incredible night. She nestled her face in the crook of his neck, her hand lazily caressing his chest. Unfortunately, Chuck picked that moment to slide out of bed.

_No, no don't do that. Stay here with me for a few minutes. This feels so wonderf…dammit, he got up._ She watched him walk out to the kitchen.

She lay back in the bed, remembering fondly in her head the night she finally admitted to Chuck she was in love with him. The look in his eyes when she told him was something she wanted to treasure forever. She could still feel his warm embrace when they stopped pretending. The six months between then and now were the happiest of her life. Granted, the events of her life would not make that standard difficult to surpass. You couldn't know until you were out in the field just how difficult being a CIA agent was. Some of the things she had to do to protect the country, which she wouldn't have given a second thought a few years ago, made her shudder now. Writing it off to "the greater good" could only work for so long before you looked in the mirror and not recognize the face you saw. But for 11 years, since that day in the woods when she hid from the police while her father was arrested, she thought that was the only life to which she was entitled. Certainly nobody in school felt she deserved better.

What seemed like a routine mission, retrieve the files Bryce Larkin stole, ended up being the greatest thing to ever happen to her. She found out what it was like to have friends; to have people she could rely on as much as they relied on her. Most importantly, she fell in love with someone who truly loved her. That same cute, sweet guy who was probably preparing to serve her breakfast in bed right now.

She looked up when she heard him return, and her prediction was right on the money. Chuck really went all-out on this breakfast. Several varieties of fruit, fresh-squeezed orange juice, and four chocolate croissants were brought in on a tray. Even the tray didn't look like an Ikea special. She had never seen it before. It looked like one from the Williams-Sonoma catalogue. Chuck must have been saving the tray for a special occasion. Had she known he would do that, she would have given him a few more specials last night.

"Mmmmm, that looks wonderful sweetie," Sarah said as she stretched and eyed the spread on the tray. Chuck gently placed the tray on the bed and climbed in next to her. She chose a section of orange to start.

"I wish we could stay here all day, but we probably have to go in soon," Chuck replied. "The consulting office isn't safe if only Morgan is there, and we have to see Jimmy as well. We shouldn't be late."

"Oh, trust me. He'll understand," Sarah said in a sultry voice, not really wanting to leave the bedroom yet.

"That's true. He made that romantic dinner for us last Saturday night. I don't think we'll be fooling him anytime soon." Chuck took one of the chocolate croissants and held it up for Sarah, who took a bite.

"Ohhhh, this is too good." Sarah slid up to Chuck and started kissing and nibbling his neck.

"Mmmmmm, no fair. You know what that does to me."

Sarah took his earlobe in her mouth and flicked at his ear with the tip of her tongue. "That's the idea, baby." Her hand started to slide down under the sheets.

"Uhhh, tempting, tempting. I gotta get up. I should get a shower. Besides, how would it look on your report if you didn't go in today? 'Exhausted from making love all night long?' That'd go over really well with the bosses." He pulled himself out of the bed, in spite of his entire being arguing against it, and headed to the bathroom

"You know I just hate it when you're being practical," Sarah playfully pouted.

"Sorry."

Sarah sampled an apple slice and had some of the orange juice. _Sorry, huh?_ Nobody Sarah was in love with brings her breakfast in bed and gets away with it. She headed to the bathroom. After all, she needed a shower, too. Shouldn't she try her best to conserve water? Make the planet nice and green?

_**Westside Medical Center  
October 23, 2009  
11:30 AM**_

Jimmy was back in his room. The tests with Dr. Mendoza went a little faster than he anticipated. He had been in the hospital twice in his life. Once was to remove his tonsils when he was 5, but he was too scared by the whole experience to remember anything. He remembered having to wait a while when he was in the hospital to get his broken arm fixed. At the time, he didn't know any better, so he gave the doctors a false name but wrote his correct insurance information on it so it took them longer before they questioned it. He snuck out of that hospital after the cast was put on to stay ahead of the authorities. Today, however, there was no waiting. Every test was ready to go. The whole process took just under an hour. No doubt Dr. Mendoza was well-known at this facility and was able to get through the red tape quickly. Of course, now Jimmy was worried about who was going to pay for all this. Did this hospital still accept HMO's?

Sarah knocked on the door and entered. "Good morning. You look a lot better than you did last night, your eyes notwithstanding."

"My eyes?"

"Oh. You haven't seen them yet?" Sarah sat down on the bed next to Jimmy. She opened her wallet to the mirror inside of it and handed it to Jimmy. He got a good look at the second black eye he now had, courtesy of Grant hitting him with a gun yesterday.

"Good God. Well, it's time we called Ralph Kramden. I'm ready for my Raccoon Lodge initiation."

"Who's Ralph Kramden?"

"Oh, God." Jimmy fell back onto the bed and watched a few more gray hairs sprout. Jimmy's voice morphed into a grandpa. "I tell ya, you young kids these days. Ya think ya know everything."

"Knock it off, gramps," Sarah said playfully, starting to crack up. "Whatever happened to '40 is the new 30'?"

"The moron who said that was probably trying to talk himself off the ledge when he turned 40. And the idiot who said '50 is the new 40' said that up in a bell tower while holding a machine gun."

"And I'm not THAT young!"

"Oh, please. I'm old enough to remember Vietnam. You probably weren't even alive when MTV still played music videos."

"I was too!" Sarah was a tiny bit hurt, but she had the same smile on her face when she first "flirted" with Jimmy. Only now the smile was authentic.

"Really? What was Joan Collins' most famous role? Name three songs off of the _Thriller_ album. What was Madonna's first movie before everybody realized she couldn't act?"

"Oh, stop it. I'll tell Ellie to slip something into your medications to drive you crazy."

"Really? Like what, Doctor Walker?"

"Maybe she'll slip some estrogen into your meds."

"Too late; I've already seen every episode of _Sex and the City_."

Sarah laughed hysterically. This was the side of Jimmy she had been waiting to see. For all she knew, it might have been a side of Jimmy he didn't even know about. It didn't matter. It was here, and she wanted it to stay.

"How did the tests go?"

"Pretty quick, actually. Dr. Mendoza had them done in an hour. I thought I'd still be up there right now. I guess he has some pull in this hospital." Jimmy looked at Sarah for a moment. "Actually, I was expecting you to be here a little earlier today. At least, that's the impression you and Chuck left when you were here last night."

Sarah looked down at a spot on her shoe. "Well, we got a little busy this morning, and then traffic…" Sarah was beginning to blush, and Jimmy spotted it right away.

"Why, Miss Walker, I had no idea," Jimmy teased her with a dead-on southern accent straight out of _Gone With the Wind_.

She smiled. "Is it that obvious?"

"You could put Stevie Wonder in a dark room with a blindfold on, and he'd still see it."

She could barely hold Jimmy's gaze. Such a pain in the ass, he was. "Well, after everything that happened yesterday…"

"Come on. You don't need to explain anything. The man you're head over heels in love with almost gets taken from you and you get him back? A little busy? If I was in your shoes, I'd be getting REALLY busy right now. And who could blame you? Christ, I was certainly no help yesterday, yelling at you like I did." He shook his head. "I am so sorry about that. I suffer from foot-in-mouth disease when I'm stressed out. I must have been all the way to the heel yesterday."

Sarah looked at him in disbelief. "Do you actually think I'm mad at you for that? I was starting to lose my mind when I was driving towards the two of you. The van was out of control, you were hanging on for your life, and I feared the worst. Your yelling brought me back and got me focused on the task at hand. Oh, and by the way, did you forget you leaped onto an out-of-control van going 60 miles an hour for the purpose of saving my boyfriend's life? And then you decided that wasn't courageous enough, so you drove the van off of a ramp so it wouldn't hit anybody else?"

"It was a team effort yesterday. I'd be all over the 210 right now if you hadn't caught me. You saved my life so I could help you save Chuck's. And that was wonderful of you. Thank you for doing that."

Sarah looked down and smiled, a small tear coming to her eye. She wiped it away. Her voice was a bit softer. "Chuck said you would thank me today for saving your life. And all I did was move the car up. He kept saying you're a sweet and wonderful person. God love him, he was right."

Jimmy smiled at her. "Well, that's one thing we have in common. We both like Chuck." His voice gained a bit of lilt and his eyes had a look of mischief. "Although I'm guessing it's in MUCH different ways. I mean, I'm sure he's a great kisser and wonderful in bed, but I'm content just to take your word for it."

Sarah laughed and hugged him tightly. She looked at him and brushed some hair off of his face. "You know, you're a thousand times cuter when you're not making fun of yourself."

"Oh, please. Now you're just being patronizing."

"I am not! I know several women that would want to be with you right now." Sarah gently patted Jimmy's stomach. "And after the CIA gets you ready, you're going to make Brad Pitt look like he got beaten with an ugly stick."

"Yeah, and some women would say now he's living with that ugly stick."

Sarah laughed at that. She grabbed the package she carried with her to the hospital. "I brought you a little souvenir. This was dropped off at the Orange Orange this morning. It's from the NSA office in Chicago."

"For me? Why would they be sending me something?"

"I don't know. Maybe Casey has a few old friends there and they got wind of what you did for him at the hotel."

"Well, I think Chuck did most of the heavy lifting there. Wow, Casey has friends out there? That's almost as disturbing as me having friends."

Sarah put a cautionary finger in Jimmy's face. "Uh-uh. Don't start that. You have friends, and you know it. And you're never going to shake us. If you don't like it, then stop doing things friends do, like cooking them dinner, buying them drinks, and saving their lives."

"Yes, ma'am," Jimmy replied in a mockingly respectful tone. He opened the and his eyes lit up when he saw what it was. He pulled out a Chicago Bears jersey with the number 34 on it. It was in his size as well.

"Wow, now this is a gift. There's a card in here."

Jimmy opened the card. " 'Thanks for nothing, you bastard.' Gee, maybe I shouldn't read this deeply personal stuff out loud. But at least we know it was somebody who found out about Casey."

"34? That was Walter Payton, right? Was he your favorite Bear?"

"Hell, he was everybody's favorite Bear. Still is. They didn't name the Man of the Year trophy after him because of his looks. Wow, I still remember that day in 1999. I never cried before at finding out anybody had died."

Sarah was a little confused by that statement. "What about your mom and your sister?"

Jimmy looked up as if was caught doing something wrong. "Well, I did cry, yeah. But I…I don't know. I was eight. I don't know what happened. Maybe my emotions shut down on me or something. It felt like…like…I don't know."

Sarah looked at him. It was obvious Jimmy was trying to cover up. He wasn't going to fool someone who was such an expert on doing it herself. She knew so few things about his past, and what she did know did not paint a rosy picture of a perfect childhood. Jimmy didn't look like he wanted to talk about it. Sarah started to wonder if anybody ever talked to him about the things that happened in his life. She let it pass for now, but she had no intention of letting it stay that way. Jimmy came too far in the last 10 days to regress to what he used to be. She knew at least some of what he could do, and she was determined not to let that slip away.

There was a knock on the door. A tall, husky man in his 50s entered wearing a doctor's lab coat. He walked over to Jimmy.

"Jimmy, hi. I'm Dr. Joe Dolan. They sent me up here to check on you." Dr. Dolan looked at Jimmy's chart. Sarah suspiciously checked the doctor's lab coat and ID. However, they had the correct information.

"I see they have you scheduled for some cardio testing today. I can bring you downstairs to it."

Jimmy looked at Dr. Dolan and began to flash. He saw Dolan in army fatigues, an image of a dishonorable discharge document, and a picture of Dolan cutting the throat of a young soldier. Jimmy closed his eyes from the pain.

"Everything OK, Jimmy?" Dr. Dolan asked.

"Oh, it's fine. It's just a little headache." He turned towards Sarah. "The kind of headache I get from time to time."

Sarah started to get up, eyeing Dr. Dolan, and Jimmy's flash was confirmed by the outline of the gun underneath Dolan's lab coat.

"Well, you two have a lot to do. I'll see you when you get back, Jimmy." Sarah started to walk to the door but placed two fingers behind her back. Jimmy spotted it. The count went to one finger. Dr. Dolan continued to look at the chart.

Jimmy dove off the bed. Sarah spun in the air and landed a boot to the back of Dr. Dolan's head. He fell face down on the bed and tried to get up, reaching for his gun in the process. Jimmy got up quickly and gave him a smash to the back of the head, knocking him out. He retrieved the gun from Dolan while Sarah got hers out.

"Nothing good ever happens in this hospital," she said in barely-contained anger.

"Yeah, I'm not a big fan of this place, either," Jimmy replied.

"Let's go."

"I'll come back for the jersey later." Jimmy looked up. "Sorry, Sweetness."

Sarah and Jimmy went to the door. Opening it slowly, Sarah peeked out to see if anybody was outside. Nobody was waiting for them. She moved out into the hall and carefully concealed her gun. Jimmy did the same. They turned the corner towards the elevator. Two Ring agents were standing in the hall. All four people pointed their weapons.

Jimmy tried to keep his voice calm. "There's no way in hell you're taking me with you. The only option you have is to shoot me dead. And you know that won't do you one bit of good. I suggest you back off before this turns into the O.K. Corral."

A standoff like the one Sarah and Jimmy were in would be the absolute worst time for someone to wander past. Unfortunately, the person who just exited a patient's room did exactly that. One of the agents grabbed her and put a gun to her chin.

"Drop the guns or she dies," the agent said in a flat, menacing voice.

Sarah had a look of shock and horror. She quickly hid her gun. Jimmy stared with rage boiling under the surface.

"Son of a bitch," he muttered under his breath.

"Sarah? Anthony? What's going on?"

The sounds from Ellie were muffled because of the gun under her chin. The fear in her eyes, however, was unmistakable.


	11. Too Close to Home

_I decided not to torture you and make you wait a week for the cliffhanger to be resolved. I'm very surprised by these new sections. The idea for Chapters 10-12 only came to me a week ago. It's always good to keep an open mind when writing. And if you were wondering if there was going to be some Ellie/Casey interaction...well, you'll just have to read it._

_As always, I hope you like the story, and PLEASE leave feedback. Pretty please? With sugar on it? Anything you want to say is fine with me._

* * *

_**Westside Medical Center  
October 23, 2009  
12:00 PM**_

Sarah and Jimmy stared down the two Ring agents holding Ellie hostage. Sarah slid her weapon in the waistband of Jimmy's pants so Ellie didn't see the gun in her possession.

"Ellie…" Sarah said gently as she put her hand out to try and calm her.

"Unload the gun and drop it on the ground, Slade," the man holding Ellie ordered.

Jimmy stared at them, wanting nothing more than to put a bullet through each of their skulls. He lowered the gun, pulled out the magazine, and pulled back on the slide to eject the bullet in the chamber. He tossed the empty gun on the ground in front of him.

"And the other gun, Jimmy…" the second man said.

_Sons of bitches know how to count, _Jimmy thought. He pulled the gun out from behind his back, took out the ammunition, and dropped it on the ground as well. Sarah moved carefully behind him so the two agents could not see all of her.

"Stall, Jimmy," Sarah whispered.

"Let's go, Slade." The first agent pushed his gun further under Ellie's chin for emphasis.

"How do I know you won't kill her after I give myself up?"

"You don't really have a choice, do you," the second agent threatened.

"Uh-uh. I'm not making it that simple. You need me alive, and you know it. If she so much as breaks a nail, I'll make sure none of us leave this hospital breathing. We do this at the same time. The doctor walks over here, and I walk over there."

Sarah put her hands on Jimmy's back and nudged him forward. He took two steps and carefully slid to his left per Sarah's guidance. Sarah stood next to a tray table while Jimmy blocked the agents' view of her and the tray.

"One step at a time. You try anything, Slade…"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. I know the routine. I've seen enough movies." Jimmy was seething inside, but he hoped whatever Sarah had in mind worked. If it resulted in the deaths of these two bastards, it would be a nicely added bonus.

Sarah pulled a sterile cloth back on the tray. She found exactly what she needed. She slipped two scalpels off the emergency prep tray. She took Jimmy's left hand and placed the scalpels in it. Jimmy felt what Sarah handed him and gave the slightest of nods. He glanced behind him, gesturing with his hand for Sarah to move back. Sarah looked back to the same location Jimmy did and understood what he had in mind. She moved back a few feet and stood in the center of the hallway.

"Move slowly, Slade."

"Would you like my hands up or anything?" he asked with a tinge of sarcasm.

"Behind your head."

Jimmy acquiesced to their demand, carefully palming the scalpels so the agents wouldn't see them. Behind his head, he rolled one of the scalpels into the four non-broken fingers of his right hand and held the other in his left. He looked at Ellie as calmly as he could.

"Doc, just take it nice and slow. You can do this. One step at a time."

Jimmy took a step forward towards the agents. The agent took the gun from under Ellie's chin and pushed her forward. She shook uncontrollably as she walked towards Jimmy. Sarah watched everything from behind them. Jimmy put out three fingers behind his head. Sarah kept an eye on Jimmy's count as he continued to step forward. Ellie walked timidly, and her eyes were wide with fear.

Two fingers.

Jimmy's eyes were dead cold and fixed on the two guns pointed at Ellie and him. Ellie moved forward slowly. They were within 5 feet of each other.

One finger.

Sarah needed all of her self-discipline not to tense up. She glanced at the door to her right. She was ready to pounce. Ellie got to within two feet of Jimmy.

Jimmy's hands came down. He planted his hands on Ellie's back and shoved her towards Sarah. Sarah caught Ellie and dove into a patient's room with her. Jimmy charged the two agents, throwing the scalpel in his left hand like a dagger at the agent on his left. It penetrated the agent's shoulder blade dead-on, causing him to drop his gun. He slashed at the other agent's wrist with the scalpel in his right hand, who dropped his gun as blood came out. Jimmy kicked hard into the groin of the agent on the left while body-slamming the other agent into the wall. Pushing off the back of the agent in the wall, he landed a hard kick on the first agent, his foot connecting directly with the agent's throat. He took the scalpel and slashed the agent he slammed into the wall across the neck. Both agents fell dead. Jimmy dropped the scalpel and collapsed against the wall desperately trying to breathe.

Sarah and Ellie slowly peeked out of the room. Sarah sprinted over to the frantic Jimmy and grabbed him to stop him from falling to the floor.

"Jimmy! Jimmy. Come on. It's over. It's done." She held onto him tightly to get him to focus. Ellie was shaking as she walked slowly to them. Sarah held Jimmyup against the wall. "It's over. You did it. You did it." She took his hand as Ellie stood next to her. Sarah grabbed Ellie's hand as well. The three looked at the two dead agents on the floor. Jimmy's breathing slowly returned to normal. Sarah was breathing heavily herself, relieved beyond words.

"What I wouldn't give to hear a good one-liner from you right now," Sarah said as she continued to look at the dead agents in shock.

"Yeah," Jimmy replied softly. "Me, too."

_**Zork Computer Consultants  
October 23, 2009  
12:45 PM**_

Chuck and Morgan sat at the front desk enjoying their traditional Friday lunch. It wouldn't involve actual food for about 15 minutes. For the moment, they were blowing off steam…if this job actually gave them steam that needed blowing off…by engaging in another round of _Call of Duty_.

"Dude, you need to change this place to a four-day week. That way, there's a whole three-day weekend to relax." Morgan continued to dream up more schemes to work as little as possible.

"OK. You do realize that would require you to work 10 hours a day, correct? That is, if you actually put in that many hours in a week?"

The door flew open, and Casey entered in a rush.

"I thought you had the day off," Chuck inquired in confusion.

"Let's go," Casey barked, as he had no time for pretense. "They need you for a networking emergency."

Chuck got up right away and headed for the door, leaving Morgan in the lurch.

"Chuck! What about lunch? We're hitting the Buy More in a few minutes. Friday fajita trays!"

"Morgan, try something novel: bring your lunch with you to work."

Chuck and Casey exited the office. Casey barely let Chuck settle into the passenger seat of the car before peeling out of the Buy More mall lot.

"Casey! I don't think they're going to do another _Cannonball Run _movie, so quit making an audition tape."

"We're going to the hospital. The Ring tried to grab Slade again."

"What?"

"There's a lot more. Ellie was involved. They tried to take her hostage."

Chuck could feel a chill go down his back. His fear rose quickly. "So, they know she works there? Is she OK?"

"She's fine and so is Sarah. It's already over. Sarah doesn't think The Ring knew who Ellie was. She was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. Sarah's trying to get the situation under control right now. She tried calling Devon, but he's in emergency surgery. They'll get him as soon as he finishes."

"What about Jimmy?"

Casey shook his head in disbelief. He had no idea if Jimmy was that damn lucky or that damn good. "He and Sarah took care of it."

Chuck sat in the passenger seat in dead silence, mouth agape, while Casey weaved in and out of traffic to get to the hospital.

_**Westside Medical Center  
October 23, 2009  
1:00 PM**_

Sarah and Jimmy stood in an empty room down the hall from where the confrontation took place. Ellie was outside talking with two police officers and several federal agents about what happened. Sarah was on the phone with Washington D.C. providing a preliminary report regarding the situation with The Ring and their attempt to capture Jimmy. Jimmy paced back and forth at the opposite end of the room from Sarah. He was no longer hyperventilating, but he was still beside himself over what happened. To be involved in a hostage situation was traumatic enough for any individual. The fact Chuck's sister was the one to be taken hostage was becoming too much for him to handle.

Sarah completed her call and looked at Jimmy. "Casey is on his way, and Chuck is with him. They'll talk to Devon as soon as his finishes with surgery."

Jimmy's arms were folded around his body and he was barely holding himself together. "Chuck is going to kill us. He is absolutely going to kill us!"

"He is not going to kill us."

Jimmy stopped and looked at her. "OK. He's going to kill me. You'll be the first woman in the history of relationships who has to sleep on the couch."

"Come on. Don't do this. You have to calm down."

Jimmy paced back and forth even faster. "How the hell can I calm down? Ellie was almost killed out there! And it's my fault!"

"Your fault?!" Sarah was incredulous. "You didn't put her life in danger! You saved it! You came through again! They keep coming after you and you keep stopping them. You're a hero!"

Jimmy stared at her in horror. "Are you insane? I'm not a hero! I didn't save her life! Her life never should have been in danger in the first place! Anybody I'm near, somebody tries to kill them! I…I…I'm like a deadly Cousin Oliver!"

Sarah gave him a weird look. "Cousin Oliver?"

"Oh, never mind!"

Sarah grabbed him and pushed him up against the wall. "Listen to me! Don't do this to yourself! You didn't cause any of this. OK? You didn't do ANYTHING wrong!" Sarah held his face tightly so he was forced to look directly into her eyes. Her voice cracked as the stress of the situation got to her. "Please, Jimmy. None of this is your fault. You didn't ask for this. And yet you still helped us out. What you've done is nothing short of amazing. Just stay with us, OK? We need you. You're too damn good to give up now. Like I said, you are never going to shake us. You can't drive us away, because we know we're right about you. The people in your past were wrong. They didn't know who you really were. But we do."

Jimmy stood there, his eyes shifting back and forth between focused and unfocused. Tears started coming down his cheeks. Sarah pulled him to her and held on tightly. Jimmy shook uncontrollably in her arms.

"We need you, Jimmy," Sarah said quietly into Jimmy's ear as her hold on him intensified. "We're here for you. We care about you."

Jimmy buried his face in her shoulder. These last few minutes hurt him in a way he hadn't felt in years. Maybe he immunized himself to his past before now. His anger and hatred always shielded him from being hurt for the longest time. After years of ridicule and abuse, he thought his shell was tough enough to withstand anything. But what used to be his only allies abandoned him when he needed them the most. Chuck, Sarah, and Casey were people who didn't look at him with contempt or scorn. They even made him feel wanted. But all that did was put them in danger. He helped them fight that danger again and again. But like the kids who used to pick on him in school, the danger didn't go away every time he fought it off. It just came back stronger and nastier every time.

But maybe that was the point. He wasn't doing it alone. This wasn't like school where he was by himself and couldn't rely on help from the teachers or even his parents. For the first time in his life, he had people who wanted to help him. Sarah said they cared about him, and she wasn't the type of person to idly throw a phrase like that around. Casey may not have been as hands-on about it, but it was obvious he took protecting people seriously. And Chuck was the glue that held everybody together. Sarah and Casey would give up their lives for him, and it was apparent his reach extended to Jimmy as well.

His shaking eventually subsided, and he looked up. Sarah still had a tight grip on him. He noticed her face was buried in his shoulder, and he could feel her shaking as well. He suddenly like a complete heel. He was going out of his mind about what happened without even realizing the sister of her boyfriend was almost killed. Certainly Sarah and Ellie had to be close; the whole family seemed very welcoming. It must have been killing her to see Ellie with a gun to her head and unable to do anything about it. But she was just as responsible for saving Ellie's life as he was. She came up with the plan; he simply executed it. He held onto her until she took her face off of his shoulder.

"I guess I wasn't the only one who needed that 'it's not your fault' hug," he said softly.

She looked up at him with a few tears welling in her eyes and nodded with a smile. "I guess I did need it. And you're a very huggable person. Like hugging a big teddy bear."

"Funny, I never would have pegged you for someone who did that a lot."

"Me, neither. Those damn Bartowskis will get to you one way or another. I used to be a vicious, cold-hearted bitch and was proud of it."

There was a mischievous twinkle in Jimmy's eyes. "Ahhh, don't sell yourself short, Sarah. You're a tremendous vicious, cold-hearted bitch."

Sarah started laughing hysterically. She had to hold on to Jimmy to not fall on the floor laughing her head off.

"Oh, that's what I needed to hear from you." She wrapped her arms around his neck and gave him a kiss.

Ellie burst into the room. Her demeanor was completely different from 30 minutes ago. She was furious and went right up to Jimmy, almost ready to attack him.

"Who the hell are you? Why were those people trying to kill you? Why did they keep calling you Slade? You said your name was Anthony Todd. How could you drag Sarah into this? We almost get killed and they're after you? What the hell have you done?"

Sarah tried to pull Ellie away from Jimmy and held her hands tightly. "Ellie, please calm down. I can explain everything."

Ellie got away from Sarah and got in Jimmy's face again. "Did you put Chuck in danger? Is someone trying to kill him, too? Answer me, dammit!"

"Dr. Woodcomb, I am very sorry for everything that has happened. Your brother is on the way right now, and we have someone waiting to contact your husband the second he is out of the O.R." Jimmy spoke to Ellie in a flat but authoritative voice, something that took Sarah by surprise. "If you could please take a seat, I will explain everything to you."

Ellie was still incensed. "If you did anything to…"

"Dr. Woodcomb, please!" That stopped Ellie in her tracks. Sarah pulled out a chair behind Ellie and guided her to it. Sarah looked at Jimmy, wondering what he was trying to do, but Jimmy gave her a reassuring glance Ellie didn't notice.

"Once again, I am very sorry for what happened. It was very unfortunate you got caught up in this. But let me assure you, nobody in your family was subjected to any danger whatsoever. Well, before now. Of course, nothing I say here can leave this room." Jimmy walked behind Ellie to where Sarah was and motioned to her back pocket. Sarah quietly slipped Jimmy her CIA badge and ID.

"Why did those men call you Jimmy Slade?" Ellie's voice was calm but still firm enough to demand an answer.

"My name isn't Anthony Todd, and I am not a computer trainer." He held up Sarah's ID with his hand covering her picture. "I'm Jimmy Slade. I'm with the Federal Bureau of Investigation. O.C.D."

Ellie's head tilted in confusion. "Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder?"

Jimmy smiled slightly. "Organized Crime Division, Doctor. Your brother and his girlfriend, through his company, have spent the last two weeks assisting me in bringing down the Tizuno family, one of the most powerful crime syndicates on the West Coast."

"What? He's been helping you take down the mob? He doesn't have that kind of training!"

"It's not what you think, Doctor. Let me put it this way: how did the FBI take down Al Capone?"

"Taxes, I know. I saw _The Untouchables_."

"Well, things haven't changed much in 80 years. If you want to take down crime syndicates, you go after their taxes, their legitimate businesses, and their money. Investigate the ways by which they launder funds. The Tizuno family is very powerful because they are well-organized and smart. They have been using high-level encryption programs and a complicated computer network setup to hide their misdeeds. And unfortunately, they don't pay enough in the federal government for us to attract the best and the brightest to our I.T. section. That's why my supervisor authorized me to go deep undercover. Use any and all means to take them down.

"One of the programs Chuck developed is able to break almost 90% of the data encryption the Tizuno family was using to cover their organization. I contracted with him and set up access into their network. We piggybacked on internal network locations at FBI headquarters in Virginia. As far as the Tizuno family was concerned, if they suspected anything, whatever they tried to trace left them running in circles. Chuck was able to get volumes of data on the Tizuno's activities, enough to put away most of the upper echelon of the family for several lifetimes. He collected all of the data and put it on flash drives for me. I took those flash drives, and the Attorney General's office is helping me build the case now to take them down."

"Wait. That means Chuck is a witness in this? They'll kill him before he can testify. He is NOT going into protective custody!"

"No, not at all, Doctor. Actually, this is where Sarah comes in. As I'm sure you already know, Sarah is very protective of her boyfriend."

Ellie looked at Sarah and nodded. "Yes. One of the best things to happen to our family was when she started going out with Chuck." This elicited a warm smile between the two women.

Jimmy made it a point to scratch an imaginary itch near his left eye; the one Sarah hit two nights ago. "Yes, well, I found out the hard way just how protective she is of Chuck."

Behind Ellie, Sarah shot him a dirty look. Jimmy responded with a teasing smirk before continuing. "Not long after you found me on Chuck's couch, Sarah discovered who I really was. Chuck had not told her to that point what my actual mission was per my instructions. Sarah was, you might have guessed, not very happy about the situation. However, it was too late to stop the operation, so she volunteered the Orange Orange as drop-off point. I would pick up the flash drives of data Chuck completed from her under the guise of getting some frozen yogurt. Chuck and I never made face-to-face contact in any unsecured location. All dealings with the data I had were through Sarah. She is a very brave individual. I'm actually having her type up her resume. I think she'd be great as an FBI agent once she goes through training."

Sarah had to suppress a smile. The training she got through the CIA made Quantico look like a high school physical education class. Jimmy probably threw that in there to give her a laugh.

Ellie appeared to be buying the story but had more questions. "How do you know that the Tizuno family wasn't watching all of this happen?"

"That was John Casey's job, Dr. Woodcomb. He set up surveillance on the Orange Orange, the Buy More, your brother's office, and 5 other locations that we used as fake drop-off points. He monitored chatter from several members of the crime family I suspected knew of my dealings. I made sure to make regular visits to those fake locations as often as the Orange Orange in order to throw them off my scent. Sarah was kind enough to play along. As far as the Tizunos were concerned, I only went there to get frozen yogurt and hit on the lady running the shop. Fortunately, she kept turning me down. I mean, she had to make it look real, right? No point throwing this dog a bone."

"Oh, please." Ellie gave him a smile. _Hook, line, and sinker_, Jimmy thought.

"Trust me, Doc. I'm one of those people who are totally aware of who they are and what they look like. Sarah is way out of my league. Both of you are, actually. Hell, both of you are out of this entire planet's league."

Ellie looked away from Jimmy and blushed a bit. Well, he had to give her a little something. She most decidedly deserved a little ego boost after what happened today.

"Anyway, the Tizuno family thought a coffee house miles from the Orange Orange was the actual pick-up spot. They tailed me from there in a van, and that's how I ended up in the hospital, Doctor. That road rage incident actually was them trying to kill me. Obviously, they didn't succeed. And thanks to Chuck, Sarah, and Casey, all of the flash drives have been turned over to the Attorney General to bring the Tizuno family to justice. The three of them are all done, and they did a great service to the country. The FBI wants to throw some freelance work Chuck's way for the great job he did. Between the FBI and several other government agencies, we can give him enough work to keep him living quite comfortably for the rest of his life. Of course, within a week or so, you'll never see me again. I basically have a target on my back now. The further I get from all of you, the better…for all of you, that is."

Sarah looked down at the ground. She was crestfallen because she knew that had to happen. It just felt very disturbing Jimmy's elaborate lie had several parts in it that were the truth, with the last part being the most truthful…and hurtful.

"Well thank you, Agent Slade, for helping my brother's business and trying to keep him as safe as possible."

"Actually, it's Sarah and Casey you should thank, Dr. Woodcomb. They think the world of Chuck and would do anything to protect him."

"Yes, so would I."

"I don't doubt that for one second, ma'am."

Ellie rose from the chair and gave Sarah a big hug.

"Thank you so much today, Sarah. You really helped me. I wouldn't have gotten through it without you."

"I'm so glad you're OK, Ellie." Sarah hugged her sister tightly. Ellie was the closest thing she had to a family. As far as Sarah was concerned, they were family.

Ellie turned to Jimmy. He put his hand out and she put her arms up to give him a hug. She saw his hand out and shot him the same look that shut him up earlier that morning in the hospital room. He dropped his hand instantly and put his arms around her when she hugged him.

"Thank you for saving my life, Mr. Slade."

"Was glad to do it, Dr. Woodcomb. And it's Jimmy. I'm very sorry it came to that in the first place. But you're a very brave person. Not a lot of people could keep it together like you did." That wasn't a lie, either. After all, he crumbled right after it was over.

Ellie opened the door as Chuck and Casey walked up. Chuck was overjoyed to see Ellie. The two siblings fell into a hug.

"Thank God you're OK, El."

"Me? I didn't know you were doing such dangerous work for the government."

Chuck got a little wide-eyed. Did she know about the Intersect?

"Chuck," Sarah quickly interjected. "Ellie knows all about the computer work and surveillance you and Casey did for Agent Slade and the FBI."

Chuck gave Sarah a confused look. He then stared at Jimmy for a brief second. A smile formed across his face. He turned back to Ellie.

"Well, you know, sis. Do my little part to help and get paid for it, too. Right?"

"OK, but PROMISE me you won't do any more dangerous work for the government. I don't want to see you doing anything more hazardous than chasing 15-year-old kids releasing computer viruses."

"Uh, no problem, Ellie. I'll do my best. You know how I am about getting into danger."

Casey broke up the mutual hugging society. "Devon's surgery still has an hour left in it. Someone is down there who will tell him what happened. Do you want me to give you a ride home, Doctor, or would you rather wait for him?"

Ellie looked in the direction where the O.R. would be and then looked at Casey. "I think I'll take the ride home now, if it isn't inconvenient for you."

"Not at all, Dr. Woodcomb. This way, if you would."

"OK, I'll call the two of you tonight. I love you." Ellie gave Chuck and Sarah a kiss apiece and walked out with Casey. Chuck and Sarah re-entered the room and stared at Jimmy. Chuck was very confused, and Sarah was practically awestruck. She couldn't get over how well that worked.

"You're a pretty good liar when you want to be, Jimmy."

"OK, what…what is going on here? Why was Ellie in danger? This is a little too familiar! I don't want her involved in any of this!" Chuck's voice was starting to show anger.

"Chuck, please." Sarah took his hands in hers to calm him. "There was nothing that could have been done. Someone tried to attack Jimmy in his hospital room. I got him out of there, but then we were confronted in the hallway by two agents with guns. Ellie walked right into it by accident. They grabbed her before we could do anything."

"But…but what happened?"

"Jimmy is what happened. He pulled Ellie out of line of fire, took out both agents with only two scalpels for weapons, and he even managed to keep our cover intact with your sister."

"She's making what I did sound more heroic than it really was," Jimmy replied with a dismissive wave. "It was all Sarah's idea, I was just following directions. She kept us all from coming apart."

Sarah turned to Jimmy with a crazed-and-angry combination in her eyes. She strained her words through tightly-clenched teeth. "Will...you…PLEASE…stop…doing…that!"

Even Chuck began to back away from Sarah. "Um, Jimmy, you better just let her have that one. I've seen that look before, and it isn't pretty. I suggest you quit while you're…well, alive."

Jimmy put his hands up in surrender. "Uh, yeah. You may be right, Chuck. I think I would prefer all of my body parts to still be there in the morning. Even the ones I don't use."

"Wise choice," Sarah hissed through her still-clenched teeth.

_**Brentwood Circle  
October 23, 2009  
2:30 PM**_

Casey drove the car into a circular driveway leading to a simple but elegant house. He quickly exited the car and went around to the passenger side to open Ellie's door. In spite of the exasperating nature of her younger brother, Casey always treated Ellie with the utmost respect. He also knew Ellie had something of a soft spot for the tall, dangerous NSA operative. He never gave it much thought, although he had to admit he wasn't entirely upset with Chuck when he decided to save his sister by giving her the antidote to the poison when all four of them needed it. 80% of Casey wanted Chuck to take the antidote, 10% of him wanted Sarah to have it, and the other 10% agreed with Chuck's decision to save his sister. Had Chuck attempted to force Casey to take the antidote, he would have found himself with a glass vial down his throat and a size 14 boot lodged deep in his ass.

Ellie stepped out of the car and exhaled in relief at seeing home. She turned to Casey. "Thanks for driving me home, John."

"That's quite alright, Dr. Woodcomb."

Ellie shot him a look. The only two civilians who could scare Casey with a mere look were his mother and Ellie. "I mean, that's quite alright, Ellie. Do you need me to wait until Devon arrives?"

"Oh, no. You've been very kind to me today."

Ellie went up to Casey and gave him a hug. He flinched a bit, but he wasn't entirely surprised to see her do this. Still, after the day she had, he was willing to make slight concessions on a harmless PDA.

Ellie kissed him on the cheek and looked him in the eyes. "And thank you for looking after Chuck and Sarah. You've been a big help."

"My pleasure, ma'am. Err…I mean, Ellie." Casey corrected himself before she could.

Casey watched her enter the house and made sure he heard the door lock behind her. He got back in the car. It wasn't entirely his pleasure having to keep an eye on the world's most annoying couple, but it beat having to face Ellie if anything ever happened to them.


	12. The Past in the Present

_Hi there. This chapter runs a bit darker than prior chapters, mainly because we learn a few things about Jimmy's past before making the turn for home on this story. There are three chapters left after this. I hope everybody is enjoying the story, and please feel free to leave whatever feedback you want. There are a lot of good stories on this site, and the authors love to know what you think. I'm certainly no exception to that rule._

_Thanks and enjoy!_

* * *

_**Westside Medical Center  
October 23, 2009  
4:00 PM**_

Jimmy learned a valuable lesson today. If you save someone's life in dramatic fashion, make sure it is someone everybody despises. Either that, or you better enjoy the spotlight so much you would make Paris Hilton seem like a wallflower.

News traveled fast throughout the hospital regarding the hostage situation on the 8th floor and how Dr. Woodcomb was rescued by her brother's girlfriend and an unknown patient. Given how well-liked Ellie was throughout the hospital, everybody wanted to know who that patient was. They wanted to shake his hand, bring him flowers, take him out to dinner, basically anything they could do to show their appreciation.

Jimmy just wanted to hide and pretend it never happened.

He was still upset Ellie was dragged into this in the first place. He had finally calmed down, thanks to Sarah. But he was still having a hard time with what happened a few hours ago. He wasn't even sure how he was able to take out those two Ring agents. He remembered grabbing Ellie and throwing her towards Sarah to get her out of the way. The next thing he knew, Sarah was holding on to him, trying to get his attention. What happened in between was a bit of a blur. But whatever he did, Ellie and Sarah were still alive and the Ring agents weren't. He got the nicely added bonus he was looking for, although he had to admit now it wasn't all it was cracked up to be.

He was moved to a different room in the hospital in a secured area. Two plainclothes L.A. Police officers stood outside the door with a list of people that would be allowed in Jimmy's new room, including pictures and IDs requiring a positive scan by handheld units each officer was given. Chuck, Sarah, Casey, Devon, and Ellie were on the list, and the two duty nurses that were granted access would be required to be escorted in and out by the two officers. Devon called from home after making sure Ellie was OK. He rescheduled the cardio tests Jimmy originally planned to take on Friday afternoon for Saturday morning, and he told the hospital he would run the tests himself.

Jimmy was grateful to Casey for handling crowd control. Even though the hospital staff was eager to thank him for saving Ellie's life, Jimmy really wasn't up for it. Casey kept everybody away and arranged the statement the hospital was to release to the press. Thankfully, nobody's name was mentioned; they left it to a hostage situation handled by the hospital's security with no injuries. Casey's reward for doing this was having to confiscate the half-dozen bouquets of flowers people brought in as a thank you for security reasons. When Jimmy heard about that, he had to smile. Chuck probably would have paid him big bucks to get a picture of Casey walking around the hospital with armfuls of flowers.

Jimmy was lying back on the bed, flipping through channels on the TV. The one good thing about being on the West Coast was you could get college football games at this hour on a Friday. He didn't really have an interest in any of the teams, and he was a little annoyed he would likely being doing those tests with Awesome about the time Illinois was playing tomorrow. But at least watching football was one of those things that made life feel a bit more normal. At this point, any football would do. Maybe he'd be discharged from the hospital by Sunday, and he could try to find a place to watch the Bears game. He wanted to watch the games of his two favorite NFL teams: the Bears and whoever was playing the Packers.

There was a knock on the door. Chuck and Sarah entered. He gave them as much of a smile as he could muster, which wasn't much at all.

"How are you holding up?" Chuck asked him.

"I was about to ask the same thing about you two," he said weakly. "How is the circus out there?"

"It's much calmer now. The TV stations had to run and get back in time for the 5:00 newscasts. The good news is, they didn't press anybody at the hospital for more information. There won't be any names mentioned on TV. You are safe from being interviewed."

"That's good. I'm not exactly what you'd call a social butterfly, even under normal circumstances."

"Really. I never would have guessed," Chuck's good-natured ribbing was accompanied by an ear-to-ear grin that made Jimmy chuckle despite his mood.

Jimmy hung his head. "I'm just glad it's over. It was…it was a lot to take. I'm just…" He let the statement go.

Sarah looked at him. "Are you sure you're OK? Can we bring you anything?"

"I'm fine. Just a little tired."

Sarah continued to stare at him. Jimmy was a really good liar earlier, but he was a terrible one now. It was obvious something was hurting him, and he didn't want to talk about it. There was something about today that hit him hard, and it had to be something beyond Ellie being taken hostage. Sarah knew she couldn't let him keep it inside, especially after she witnessed his near-meltdown earlier. However, without any further information, she wouldn't be able to get him to open up. He wasn't one to talk about himself as it was, especially not something from back in his childhood. Getting something so obviously painful out in the open would be a complicated task.

Sarah handed Jimmy a mobile phone. "Casey got that from the field office for you. Our numbers are already programmed in if you need to call us. Try to get some rest, OK?"

"I will. Thanks for stopping by."

"Hey, it's the least we can do," Chuck said, trying to sound upbeat and hoping it rubbed off on Jimmy. He went up to Jimmy and squeezed his shoulders. "Besides, we gotta be ready for tomorrow. Awesome will be in full UCLA Bruin mode, so we need to get some Arizona gear ready and cheer for the Wildcats." Sarah rolled her eyes at Chuck but still smiled.

"Sounds like fun." Jimmy tried to be enthusiastic, but his heart just wasn't in it.

"Be good." Chuck and Sarah departed.

_**Echo Park  
October 23, 2009  
5:30 PM**_

Sarah relaxed on the couch, leaning over to use the armrest as a pillow. Chuck was on the phone with Devon, checking in on his sister. The same thought had been going through Sarah's mind for the last hour: should she tell Chuck about what happened to Jimmy after the hostage situation was resolved? She didn't want to break what would seem to be an implied trust between Jimmy and her. But she needed to know what set him off today. Maybe Chuck could bring a fresh perspective. She wasn't sure which choice would be the better solution.

Chuck finished his call and joined Sarah on the couch. Sarah didn't move from her position of reclining against the armrest, so Chuck playfully leaned the same way, lying on top of her.

"And the award for 'quickest way to piss off a girlfriend' goes to…" Chuck immediately moved back to a sitting position, grinning as he did so. He settled for taking her hand.

"Ellie is doing much better. Devon's going to keep an eye on her. He already ordered dinner from her favorite restaurant, and they're settling in with some romantic music and _Casablanca_. You know, just to get her mind off things."

"That's good," was Sarah's slightly distant response. She sat up as well.

Chuck slid his arms around her and held her close. "Look, I know you always say it's your job and that you'd do anything to protect us, but is it OK if I tell you what you did today was phenomenal and I am so appreciative you did it and that I love you more than you could know?"

In spite of the way she was feeling, a smile came to her face. She ran her hand through his hair and pulled him to her tightly so their faces were pressed against each other.

"Of course. Thank you, sweetie," she whispered to him, kissing him as she did so. Damn Chuck, being so wonderful like that. She relented a bit and let her guard down. She leaned back against him, playing with his fingers in her hand.

"What's going through your mind?" Chuck gave a gentle kiss to her temple.

"I don't know. I keep going back and forth about whether I should say anything. I'm not sure he would want anybody to know."

"What's going on? Who wouldn't want anybody to know?"

Sarah chose what she hoped was the lesser of two evils. "It's about what happened to Jimmy at the hospital today."

"What do you mean? Casey reviewed the hospital security feed. I don't think Jimmy could have done any better if he tried. It was like watching you and Casey in action."

"It's what happened afterward that's bothering me, before you and Casey got there. Jimmy seemed to take what happened very hard. He was blaming himself for Ellie being taken hostage. He was falling apart. If that office had a window in it, I think he would have tried to jump out. It was all I could do to get him back together again. Given how cool and collected he had been up to that point, it was very disturbing to watch. I've seen that happen to assets and other agents sometimes if they're suffering from burnout. But with all that he has done, I don't understand why it happened with him."

That made Chuck sit back slightly. "Wow. That's the last thing I would have expected. I mean, could it have been just one too many tense situations for him to handle?"

"It didn't seem like it. I would think if that was the case, he might have lost it when it happened, not an hour later. He couldn't have been calmer through it, even with Ellie right in front of him."

"Maybe it was about Ellie, the fact someone close to us was in danger. You, me, and Casey are one thing, but she's a different story. I know I was freaking out when Casey told me."

"Unless, it wasn't about Ellie, per se. Maybe it was about Ellie being your sister. He lost his older sister as a child."

"Yeah, that would make sense. But…" Chuck was suddenly lost in thought.

"What is it?" Sarah's curiosity was very much piqued right now.

"Hang on." Chuck went to the pile of information on Jimmy gathered on the table. He pulled out two of the yearbooks. He also grabbed a pad of sticky notes. He handed one of the yearbooks to Sarah.

"I don't know why, but I didn't pick up on this before. Mark all the pages in that yearbook with Jimmy's picture in it."

Sarah started leafing through the 1986 yearbook, placing a sticky note on each page that contains a picture of Jimmy. Chuck took the 1987 yearbook and did the same thing. Both of them located the class picture and the football team picture in each book, marking them with a sticky note. Sarah found 7 other places where Jimmy's picture appeared. Chuck found 4 of them. They finished and opened each book to the class picture. They compared the two images of Jimmy.

"It looks like the same shirt and tie, but it's a little more tattered in the junior-year picture," Chuck observed.

Sarah studied the two pictures. "Wait. Look at his eyes in both pictures. They look a lot more worn in the '87 picture, as if he didn't get any sleep the night before. He also has some gray hair. I thought you said he didn't have any when you flashed."

"I don't know. The flash went by so quickly and the word 'Intersect' kind of drew my attention away from his face. I guess I wasn't watching as closely as I thought. I looked at the yearbooks one-by-one. I never thought to look at them at the same time. I didn't connect the pictures to each other." Chuck looked at the two pictures.

Chuck went back to the table and leafed through the information. He found a football program from 1974. Running through the pages quickly, he found the picture of Burton Slade, Jimmy's father.

"His dad doesn't have any gray hair, and he would have been 36 at the time of this program. You can see the similarities between the two, though."

Sarah looked quickly through the rest of the pictures in the 1987 yearbook. Every picture of Jimmy had that same look. The same dark, vacant eyes, the same haggard appearance, as if he was sleep-deprived. She checked the 1986 pictures. Although Jimmy didn't have any pictures where he smiled, his appearance looked much healthier than it did one year later. Chuck returned to the couch and saw the pattern in the two sets of pictures that Sarah did.

"He looks like he aged 10 years in the span of just that one."

"Just like when they show side-by-side pictures of a president when he enters office and when he leaves. OK, so now we have the answer of 'when'," Chuck said.

"But the question still remains: why?" Sarah replied. "What happened when he was a junior in high school? And what would that have to do with something that happened 8 years earlier?"

"There's only one person who can answer that."

"We have to get him to talk about it," Sarah said, smiling at the irony. "And right after we make him talk about his past, remind me to give Kettle a call and tell her she's black."

Chuck massaged her shoulders. "Oh, stop it. You're not a hypocrite, Sarah. You care about him. So do I. He needs to know he's not alone out there anymore."

Sarah got up and took Chuck's hand to pull him up. "Let's go talk to him."

_**Westside Medical Center  
October 23, 2009  
7:30 PM**_

Chuck and Sarah arrived at Jimmy's room, knocking on the door and not waiting for him to respond before entering. He was on the bed and the TV was off.

Chuck decided to take point in this situation. "Jimmy, would you agree we're friends now?"

"Uh, I guess so. Were there papers I had to sign?"

"OK, then would you agree that listening to a friend talk about their problems is one of the things a friend should do?"

"Sure. That Allison girl from Atlanta always bent my ear about the problems she had with her boyfriends. But I think she did that because I was the only guy who didn't expect to climb in the sack with her afterwards. What did you want to talk about?"

"Actually, Sarah and I are going to listen. You're going to talk."

Jimmy glared at him. "Chuck, I'm really not in the mood for this…"

"No problem. We can wait." Chuck leaned against the door and waited. Sarah sat down on the edge of the bed.

Jimmy looked at Sarah in annoyance. "Don't you have anything better to do on a Friday night?"

She shrugged. "I'm at work right now. I'm supposed to be guarding two assets of the United States government. I have them in the same room in a secured location. I couldn't be doing my job any better."

Jimmy rolled his eyes and started for the door. Chuck grabbed a chair near the bed, placed it in front of the door, and sat down.

"Oh, I'm sorry. Am I in your way?" he asked while mocking Jimmy with raised eyebrows.

"You two are REALLY going to do this, aren't you."

"Jimmy, please. Something is wrong, and I think it has to do with what happened when you were 8."

"I don't want to talk about stuff that happened 30 years ago, OK? You two weren't even on the planet yet. It's in the past, and it's going to stay there."

"It doesn't sound like it is. I heard about what happened today after you rescued Ellie." Chuck replied.

Jimmy was quickly losing his cool. He turned on Sarah. "Well, way to keep THAT to yourself. Excuse me for not being Mr. Perfect, Sean Connery, Rat Pack cool today…"

"Stop that!" Both Sarah and Jimmy snapped their heads at Chuck, who showed anger Sarah hadn't seen in a long time. "She's not to blame for anything. She's worried about you, and so am I! After everything that's happened, don't you get that?"

Jimmy sat down on the bed, still doing a slow burn. Chuck's anger was building.

"What is wrong with you? Can't anybody ask you about something that's hurting you? You're not allowed to have someone help you when you need it? OK, fine. You didn't ask to be here. We put you in this mess in the first place. Yet you go out there and you keep risking your life for us over and over again without hesitation. Then the one time it gets to you, and you try to push us away? Are you actually going to sit there and say it's OK for you to care about us but we're not allowed to care about you?"

Jimmy sank back on the bed in silence as his anger towards them ebbed. He looked down at the ground, and his expression resembled what Sarah saw earlier in the day when he thought he was to blame for Ellie being captured. Sarah moved next to him and took his hand. Chuck slid his chair forward so he was front of Jimmy.

"I don't know if you ever had anybody who was willing to listen, but you do now," Chuck said.

"Please, Jimmy. Talk to us," Sarah added.

After a long silence, Jimmy's voice was a whisper. He didn't look up.

"It has to do with what happened to my mom and my sister."

Sarah gripped his hand tightly. "We know. We read the police report. That was a horrible thing to happen to them, getting killed by a drunk driver."

Jimmy took a deep breath. "It's what wasn't on that report."

Chuck and Sarah exchanged cautious glances. "What wasn't on the report?" Chuck asked.

Jimmy swallowed hard. "My father was the drunk driver."

Chuck and Sarah looked at each other again and then to Jimmy. His statement hit both of them hard. They stared at Jimmy in shock. Jimmy continued slowly, the words a slap to his face.

"After he messed up his knee 2 games into the '74 season, the team cut him, and he started drinking, although I didn't know that at the time. He had taken my mom and Joanna to her recital and was driving them home. I was at a neighbor's house. He ended up hitting a tree. I guess the cops figured losing his wife and daughter was punishment enough, so they reported someone else was responsible, but they didn't have a description. Maybe they thought he would tell me the truth. But he just kept drinking instead. Never went to rehab. I started staying away from the house. I spent a lot of time at the library, just reading books, doing homework, that sort of thing. I didn't want to be near him."

Chuck and Sarah were silent for a long time. Given both of them had stilted pasts regarding their parents, Jimmy's story hit them particularly hard. It was a tragic thread the three shared.

"What happened when you were 16?" Sarah asked gently. "Your yearbook photos look like you aged considerably in just one year. Does it have to do with your family? And how did you find out about your father if he didn't tell you?"

Tears started to form in Jimmy's eyes. He was struggling to talk.

"One of the football players on my high school team had a father who was a cop. I think he was one of the cops who was there that night for the accident. He finds out from his dad, and of course everybody has to start giving me crap about it because it was their mission in life to humiliate me. Well, it felt that way. It got around the school, and I had to hear about it on a daily basis. Finally, I went to my father demanding answers. He admitted to it. Rotten son of a bitch wasn't even sorry for keeping it from me. He was just mad I found out. I left home. I started sleeping in this piece of crap car I had because there was nowhere else to go. No relatives, no friends, nothing. I worked 60-70 hours a week, even during school time, 'cause I needed the money to live. I found a place to live once I got to college because I would work more hours. I spent two years either taking classes or at work. That is, until…"

Chuck sat on the other side of Jimmy. He struggled with what to say next. What do you say to someone who was betrayed by their father and lost their family as a child? Someone who, literally, had no one to turn to? Certainly the CIA must have known all of this when they found Jimmy. But it was obvious CIA policy didn't change much in the 13 years between then and when the CIA planned to put him in Project Omaha, whether he wanted to go or not.

"So, when Ellie was taken hostage today and you had to save her, it must have been…oh, God."

Chuck didn't finish the thought. He put his arms around Jimmy and gripped him tightly. Jimmy broke down crying. Sarah put her hand gently on Jimmy's head.

"I didn't want this," Jimmy wailed as he shook uncontrollably in Chuck's arms. "I didn't want anything to happen to you. I didn't want to hurt anybody."

"You haven't hurt anybody," Chuck said softly as he held him. "You are not your father. Even if you couldn't save Ellie, you could never be your father. You'd never betray anybody. You're not capable of it. You had every right to walk away from us, but you never did. We were attacked, and you helped to defend us. For all that you've been through, the fact you still did that says everything about you. You gotta hang on to that. Who you are now is the real you, not what everybody in the past thought. You were always a good person. You have to believe that."

Chuck continued to hold him. "Look, we'll get the Intersect out of you somehow. After that, wherever you want to go, whatever you want to do, we'll make it happen. You've proven yourself capable of doing almost anything. If you still want to be an agent, you'd make an excellent one. If you want something else, we'll make sure you get it. Just know you're not alone anymore. You've got all of us."

Jimmy's tears eventually subsided. He looked up, his words still soft but with a small amount of resiliency behind them. "Thanks, man. I appreciate that."

"Will you be all right? Do you want us to stay around for a while?" Sarah asked.

"It's OK. I just want to get some sleep."

"Call us if you need anything," Chuck told him. "Even if it's the middle of the night and you just want to talk."

Sarah hugged him tightly. "Rest up. You were incredible today."

Jimmy exhaled. "Sorry for being such a pain in the ass and getting mad about telling Chuck."

Sarah held him and gave him a kiss. "You don't have to be sorry."

Chuck gave Jimmy a hug as well. "I'll be by tomorrow. Map out our strategy for giving Awesome a hard time."

Jimmy smiled at the thought. "Just make sure he's done with all of my tests first. I don't want him getting mad at you and I end up with a colonoscopy or something."

Chuck and Sarah headed for the door. Sarah turned around. "Oh, and Jimmy?"

"What?"

"Alexis Carrington in _Dynasty_, _Beat It_, _Billie Jean_, and _Thriller,_ and _Desperately Seeking Susan_."

Jimmy gave her an unbelieving glance. "You looked those up online, didn't you."

Sarah grinned at him and walked out with Chuck. Jimmy shook his head and smiled.

Chuck looked at her curiously. "What was that about?"

Sarah maintained the same grin. "Just a conversation from this morning, when he was being an annoying pain in the ass."

Chuck shook his head. "I never should have asked."

"By the way, it's been a while since I've seen you get mad at anybody like you did."

"Oh, was that wrong?"

"Not at all. It was appropriate for the moment. It's just a side of you I don't get to see very often."

Sarah paused for a second. "I like it."

Chuck laughed and held her tightly.

_**Westside Medical Center  
October 24, 2009  
11:30 AM**_

Jimmy guessed this was what hospitalization would be like if you could afford to pay for everything yourself or had really good health insurance. He had neither of these options. He hoped the CIA would pick up the tab.

Devon conducted the cardio scan on him. Jimmy lay patiently on a table with leads attached all over him. The information was being fed into a computer. Devon kept typing away at the keyboard attached to the machine. A technician stood behind him to make sure he did everything right, and two new police officers stood in the background. However, the technician had worked at the hospital longer than Devon, so security wasn't much of an issue.

"OK, Big Jim. Just got one more scan to do and we're all done."

Jimmy was tired of all the tests. However, for the first time since childhood, he had slept through the night. He never talked about his mother's and sister's deaths with anybody until last night. He thought he had learned to accept it long ago, but he was proven wrong. He thought there was no point to be angry about it because there was nobody to be angry at anymore. But whoever said it was right. You have to deal with your emotions at some point. Shutting yourself off to them would not make them go away. Unfortunately, he ran into the wrong people if he wanted to stay alone and angry for the rest of his life. If Chuck and Sarah were that tough on the people they considered friends, one could imagine what they'd do to the people who didn't like them.

"All done, bro." Devon and the technician started to remove the leads from Jimmy.

Jimmy took note of the white UCLA shirt under Devon's lab coat. "So, do you wear a white t-shirt when the Bruins are on the road and a blue one when they're at home?"

"You got it. Kinda bummed that they're playing at night. I prefer afternoon games. Really messes up the schedule. I like to take Ellie out for dinner on Saturday nights. Wherever she wants to go."

"Uh, you do realize you can probably make your marriage last a few more years by foregoing the game and keeping the dinner date?"

"Was thinking along those lines already. Gotta step up to the plate after yesterday. I'm still a little spooked about the whole thing. But what you and Sarah did…wow."

"I'm just glad she's OK. It drives me nuts that it happened in the first place."

"Hey, lay off that thinking. Ellie told me everything, even the part about saying you're an FBI agent. Don't worry, man. I didn't blow your cover. I don't know anybody who could have done what you did yesterday. This today is the very least I owe you for saving her. That ticker of yours ever has problems, you come to me and I'll fix it right up. You definitely need to stay on this planet for as long as possible. We need to see a lot more of you."

Jimmy put his shirt back on and patted his stomach. "Shouldn't there be less of me? If not, it kinda defeats the purpose of what you just did."

Awesome laughed. "That kind of talk has to go away, Big Jim."

"Which is why you keep calling me Big Jim, right?" Jimmy raised an eyebrow, which generated more laughs from Devon.

They walked out of the lab and headed down the hall. "So, it's off to the land of rice cakes and salads for me?" Jimmy's voice became a monotone. "Gee, I'm so excited. I'm getting a tingly sensation all over."

"It's not as bad as you think. I've got a few prescriptions here for you to take. Just kill the caffeine, get some exercise, and choose better meals, that's all. Put those fast food restaurants in the rear view mirror."

Devon steered Jimmy down a different hallway than the direction they came in. The two police officers followed from a distance.

"Where are we heading?"

"The guys are here. I finally get to make use of Casey's wedding gift."

Jimmy looked at him suspiciously. "OK, not a single part of that sentence makes any sense whatsoever."

"Ellie decided to head out shopping and hit a spa today, and Sarah went with her."

"Sarah is with Ellie, and they're going shopping and to a spa? No offense towards Ellie, but talk about sacrificing for your country..."

"Well, the two of them have gotten real close in the last year or so. I guess Sarah doesn't mind as much anymore. Besides, government agent's gotta relax too, right? She's part of the inner circle now, which you seem to have crashed."

"The inner circle?" Jimmy looked at him oddly. Was this spy stuff rubbing off on Awesome?

"It's the family, isn't it? Greatest day of my life was the day Ellie said yes to marrying me. She's the best thing that could happen to any guy. I'm a fortunate person. You look at Sarah, especially in the last 6 months? You can just see it in her eyes. She's a different person than when we first knew her. That Bartowski charm worked on her, too. And she doesn't make friends easily. If she thinks you're a friend that means you're a damn good one, which clearly you are. Anybody would be lucky to have you around."

Jimmy had to grin at the irony of that statement, given the number of years he had spent on his own. Unfortunately, it also would end soon. The CIA was likely to send him far away from them for their safety. But he had these past two weeks with these people. That was a lot more than he could say about the rest of his life. It was something, wasn't it?

"So, Casey got you and Ellie a wedding gift? What did he get you? Free shooting lessons? His and hers grenade launchers?"

"Casey installed satellite TV in the doctors' lounge while we were on our honeymoon. We get every channel imaginable. I never have hung around the hospital long enough to try it. But we got football today, bro! Chuck, Casey, and Morgan are probably starting on their second game by now."

Devon and Jimmy turned the corner to the doctors' lounge. Chuck and Morgan were sitting on a couch with several cans of soda and two bowls of snacks in front of them. Casey was on a recliner, drinking some scotch and giving the occasional evil sideways glance towards Chuck and Morgan.

"The big guy is here," Morgan greeted him.

Jimmy checked the TV to see the guys were watching Tennessee and Alabama play. "OK, I'm a Chicagoan in Los Angeles, watching an SEC football game. I can't lie: that's a little weird."

"Well, Casey is controlling the remote right now," Morgan said with a slightly dejected look. "Oh, your alma mater lost to Purdue. You didn't miss much. Ugly game."

"Ah, great. Suddenly that colonoscopy doesn't sound so bad. BCS bowl game, my ass." Jimmy checked through the cooler Morgan was using as a footrest. He found several cans of caffeine-free diet soda and held one up. "I take it these are for me? Might as well start the diet now, right?"

He sat near Casey, keeping his voice low so Morgan can't hear it. "You drew the short straw, huh. Gotta baby-sit the Intersect brothers today."

"Work is work," Casey replied with a shrug.

Morgan protested what was on the TV. "Dude, there's gotta be something better on. Check the SyFy channel, probably a good movie on. Put on G4 or something."

Casey's growl could be heard a mile away. Chuck and Jimmy looked towards Casey with a bit of trepidation.

"Yeah, not a good idea to poke the sleeping bear, Morgan," Chuck warned the bearded lunatic.

"But dude…"

Jimmy interrupted him. "For your own safety, I suggest a new strategy, Morgan: let the Casey win."

Casey took a sip of his scotch and put his hands behind his head with a contented grunt. Jimmy observed this and shook his head in disbelief.

He turned to Chuck. "He did NOT just do that."

Chuck shook his head as well. He gave up on figuring out Casey long ago.

Jimmy moved closer to Chuck and lowered his voice. "Thanks again for last night. I acted like a complete jerk towards you two, and you were right the whole time. I was kidding myself about being able to leave the past where it is. I'm really sorry about acting the way I did."

"Quit apologizing, will you? You needed last night, even if you didn't know you needed it. It was just a matter of being able to trust someone. We knew you were a good guy. You just had to believe it yourself."

"Yeah. I guess I'm just not used to all of this. I got too accustomed to the way things were."

"I hear you. The Intersect turned my life upside-down, too. I sure as hell didn't expect this life even a few years ago. But I wouldn't change it."

"I hope I have that kind of luck."

Chuck put his hand on Jimmy's shoulder. "I sure as hell wouldn't bet against you."

"Thanks."

The two sat back to watch the game and ignored Morgan's pleas to change the channel.

_**Echo Park  
October 26, 2009  
10:00 AM**_

Stephen Bartowski knocked on the door to Chuck and Sarah's apartment. He was loaded down with several folders of documents, his briefcase, and his laptop. His clothing was updated at some time in the last six months. It was a reward from the CIA for his assistance in bringing down Fulcrum and creating the new Intersect. Although he was hesitant at first to accept the CIA's generous offer of a new condominium, the expense account so he could continue his research without interference that went with it was too good to pass up. He moved into the condo four months ago after making sure there were no listening devices or cameras. So far, the CIA kept to their word about leaving him alone. Had Chuck not talked to him on the phone directly, he would not have allowed Casey to pick him up and bring him here.

"Dad! You look great." Chuck greeted his father with a warm hug.

"How are you doing, son?" Stephen matched Chuck's warm embrace.

Sarah watched the two. "Hi, Mr. Bartowski."

"Oh, come on, Sarah," Stephen gave her a hug as well. "How many times do I have to tell you? It's Stephen. After saving the family a few hundred times, I'd say you more than earned first-name rights. In fact, with how close you two are, I'm surprised you're not calling me Dad yet."

"Do you need anything? Coffee, water, soda?" Chuck asked his father.

"If you still have some coffee that would be great. So how are you two doing? Still together, I see. Although I'm certainly not surprised."

"We're doing really well. Things have been quiet with the new business but doing good. Met somebody recently that has given us a hand with things."

"Good, good. I'm so glad to see you doing so well with the new business."

_**Buy More  
October 26, 2009  
10:20 AM**_

Casey walked into Jimmy's office without knocking.

"Let's go."

Jimmy was startled at his desk. "Yeah, apparently you never lose those 'approach by stealth' techniques they teach you. Maybe you can get some jumper cables and attach them to me, just in case you didn't shock me enough."

"It's about getting that little computer out of your head. Just wish your personality would go with it."

"Oh, OK. Although I imagine you'll be disappointed after I'm gone. One less person you get to torture."

Casey and Jimmy walked out of the store to a waiting van.

_**Echo Park  
October 26, 2009  
10:40 AM**_

Casey and Jimmy pulled up in the van outside of Chuck and Sarah's apartment. Jimmy looked at the building in confusion.

"We're meeting this person here? Is everything OK?"

"No problems. But for the sake of security, we didn't tell the person anything about you, and you won't meet them until we know for certain the Intersect can be taken out. If it can't be, it's better for the two of you never to meet."

"Yeah, makes sense. I guess."

Jimmy sat back in the seat. Casey craned his neck a bit, still a bit sore from their adventure during the aborted transfer other night. He pulled a cigar out of his coat pocket and lit it. He looked at Jimmy.

"I hate how those two have me trained," Casey growled as he stepped outside to have the cigar. After a few too many arguments from Chuck and Sarah about lighting up in the van, he figured going outside was less aggravating. Jimmy tried to recline the seat, but it fell back hard. The seat hit the surveillance equipment directly behind it.

"Dumbass," Jimmy cursed himself as he fixed the seat. He heard interference coming from the equipment. He moved to that seat to see if he could fix what he messed up.

Inside the apartment, Chuck, Sarah, and Stephen took a seat at the table.

"I hope this is not about the new Intersect. You know I'm not happy that you downloaded that thing, although I can understand the reasons."

"Actually, we have the opposite problem," Sarah said.

"Can you get the Intersect out of someone?" Chuck asked his father.

"I suppose, but who would have it?"

"OK, this is where it gets complicated. That's why we wanted to wait until you were here."

Jimmy continued to adjust the sound on the equipment. Suddenly he heard voices.

"That can't be right. The only other person who ever received the Intersect is dead. And that was almost 20 years ago. Other than you, I have mine, which I did in '92, and that's it."

Jimmy heard Chuck over the speakers as well. "I think the CIA forgot to tell you a few things."

A microphone on Stephen's computer was being picked up by the surveillance equipment.

"Even if the CIA lied, there's no way they'd let him run loose. They probably buried him in a bunker up in Maine somewhere. I'd be surprised if he's even still alive."

Jimmy stared in shock at the speakers. He hadn't heard that voice in almost 20 years, but he never forgot it. The anger and rage quickly built up inside of him. He bolted out of the van with one of Casey's guns.

Casey, on the outside of the van, saw Jimmy fly out, and then he saw the gun in Jimmy's hand. He sprinted after Jimmy.

Jimmy kicked the door in, his eyes wide with rage.

"YOU SON OF A BITCH!"

He leveled the gun at Stephen. Sarah instinctively dove for Stephen and tackled him to the ground. Chuck leaped towards Jimmy.

"NO!"

A shot rang out.


	13. You Can't Always Get What You Want

_Another chapter is now up. Hopefully everybody has made it back on after the glitches over the weekend. As always, feel free to leave some feedback. Chapter 14 will be a shorter chapter, and I hope to have it up by midweek before posting the big finale._

* * *

_**Echo Park  
**__**October 26, 2009  
**__**10:45 AM**_

__Jimmy stared in shock at the speakers. He hadn't heard that voice in almost 20 years, but he never forgot it. The anger and rage quickly built up inside of him. He was no longer acting with careful, rational thought. He bolted out of the van with one of Casey's guns.

Casey, on the outside of the van, saw Jimmy fly out, and then he saw the gun in Jimmy's hand. He sprinted for the apartment.

Jimmy ran to the door, eyes wide with rage, and kicked the door in.

"YOU SON OF A BITCH!"

He leveled the gun at Stephen. Sarah tackled Stephen to the ground. Chuck leaped towards Jimmy.

"NO!"

Chuck blocked a clean shot at Stephen. Even in his rage-fueled insanity, something clicked in Jimmy's mind. He stepped to his left to avoid Chuck and get a cleaner shot. The half-second delay allowed Chuck to knock Jimmy's left arm up. The shot went wide. Chuck tried to shove Jimmy against the wall, grabbing Jimmy's left wrist in the process.

"Jimmy, no!"

Jimmy tried to push Chuck away and bring the gun down again. Before he could, Casey flew in, grabbed his left wrist, and tackled him into the other wall. Jimmy struggled to break free. Stephen watched the whole situation unfold, unable to believe what was happening.

"Jimmy?" He rose slowly, oblivious to the danger. Sarah pushed him back to the ground.

"Stay down!"

Chuck hooked his arm around Jimmy's right arm to pin it back while Casey smashed Jimmy's left hand repeatedly into the wall. The gun fell out. Jimmy still tried to get at Stephen.

"You bastard! You son of a bitch!"

Chuck and Casey held on to him tightly. Jimmy struggled against them.

"You did this to me! You did this to me!"

Casey briefly let go of Jimmy. He interlaced his fingers into a single fist and smashed them down on Jimmy's shoulder blades. Jimmy fell to his knees.

"John!" Stephen shouted angrily at Casey.

Jimmy still tried to advance but the rage was draining, and he became easier to restrain. Chuck was now able to hold Jimmy back on his own.

"You did this to me! You did this to me!" Jimmy's voice got weaker. "You did this to me." He collapsed to the ground with tears streaming from his face. Chuck hung on to him. Stephen slowly stood, and Sarah allowed him to do so.

Chuck was in complete shock. "What the hell is going on? Why does he think you're at fault for what happened to him?"

Stephen could barely be heard. "Because he's right."

Chuck, Sarah, and Casey turned towards Stephen, stunned by the revelation. Stephen stared at Jimmy with a look of pain and guilt on his face. The image of Victor Frankenstein passed through his mind. The Prometheus he created was not dead but was clearly a wounded soul.

It took several minutes for everyone to move again. Chuck and Casey helped Jimmy to the couch. Sarah and Casey sat down on either side of him, ready to pounce in case he tried to go after Stephen again. However, Jimmy was in no condition to launch any sort of attack. He was barely moving and not even acknowledging his surroundings. He stared at the floor as Chuck and Stephen sat at the table. Chuck's mind was still reeling from Jimmy's near-assault and his father's admission of being responsible for putting Jimmy in this situation in the first place.

Chuck turned to his father. "You were involved in Project Goodwin?"

Stephen looked down momentarily, trying to gather the strength to talk.

"Yes. I was contacted by the CIA in 1989. They had heard of my mathematical research and asked me questions about its potential. Bringing in experts on psychology and how our minds process sensory inputs, we worked on a project to use visual imaging to code data, making it more easily processed in the mind. It would allow the mind to match patterns of data, like a data mining algorithm in a computer. I was in charge of developing the formulae that would translate the data into viable pixelation of the image. We looked for students that might have the best shot and processing the information and recalling it. Jimmy's preliminary test scores indicated he would be an ideal candidate."

Stephen stopped to look at Jimmy for a moment, but Jimmy had not reacted at all. He continued to stare at the ground. Stephen began to struggle with his words.

"The CIA told us Jimmy had committed suicide. We were devastated. They abandoned the project and sent most of us home. I was heartbroken, overwhelmed with guilt. I became obsessed with finding out what went wrong. I was determined to correct my mistakes. I even tested it on myself in a couple of years later."

The words become even more painful for Stephen to say. "All of it must have been too much for your mother. I absolutely loved her, and I still do. But I was too devastated to be a proper husband and father. I couldn't even tell her why."

Stephen looked at Chuck. "It still hurts me that I put you and Ellie through that."

For the first time in several minutes, Jimmy looked up. He glanced back and forth between Chuck and Stephen. It registered in his mind Stephen and Chuck were father and son. The realization he almost killed Chuck's father put his emotions into overload again. He buried his face in his hands and shook uncontrollably. Sarah held on to him tightly.

Stephen continued. "A few years later, they restarted the project. I wanted absolutely nothing to do with it, but the project couldn't have gone forward without me. The CIA told me things could get "complicated" with my family if I didn't return to work. I knew I had to stay away from you two. I completed the project and disappeared. I knew I would be putting you and your sister in danger if I ever contacted you. I had hoped that they would never enact the project. I guess 9/11 changed all of that."

"Then you talked to Bryce?" Chuck asked.

"He told me about being recruited by the CIA. I asked him to find out about your grades, test scores, any information he could get from Stanford about you."

"My testing indicated the CIA would want me," Chuck concluded.

"Your scores matched Jimmy's right down the line. You were an electrical engineering major, and Jimmy was in computer science. Both of you have brilliant technical minds, both of you are visual learners with an ability to look beyond the formulae itself. I told Bryce to protect you and make sure you never signed up, by any means necessary."

Chuck sat back, still trying to process all of the revelations and information that had occurred over the last few minutes. His mind reeled at the path his life took, especially in the last six years. What seemed on the surface as being expelled from school for something he didn't do, a betrayal by his roommate and ex-girlfriend, turned into a life he never could have imagined. It was difficult to wrap his head around the scope of how big the Intersect project was. It was now something that dated all the way back to the Cold War era. It was something that tore apart the life of someone who was already struggling to piece it back together, and it forced two young kids to grow up much faster than they deserved to do. But those two kids persevered. That part of Chuck's life was repaired. It was now time to rectify another wrong.

Chuck was subdued. "Well, I have to be responsible for my actions now. I chose to download the Intersect again. But can you remove it from Jimmy?"

Stephen started to gather his research work and laptop. "Let me see if I can configure the program. Can I use your computer, too?"

"Certainly. It's in the first bedroom on the right."

Stephen walked down the hallway to Chuck's computer. Casey stood in the hallway outside the room, just in case. Chuck sat in Casey's spot next to Jimmy, who was still shaking and had his face buried in his hands.

"Jimmy?" Sarah gently gripped his shoulder to get his attention. Jimmy eventually stopped shaking and looked up, wiping away the remaining tears as he does so.

"Here." Jimmy put his wrists out to indicate Sarah should put handcuffs on.

Chuck looked surprised. "Come on. Nobody wants to arrest you."

Jimmy turned to him. "Am I the only one to see what just happened? I almost murdered your father! I only took one law class in college, but I think attempted murder is still on the naughty list."

"First of all, if it wasn't for you, none of us would even be alive to have this conversation," Sarah replied. "Second of all, you've been forced to face your past over and over again in a short span of time, and it just got to you. If you were truly a heartless person, would you have tried to avoid shooting Chuck or me? This was a devastating thing to happen to you, and your emotions went into overload. You wouldn't be the first person to have that happen."

"All the more reason to lock my ass up," Jimmy grumbled.

Chuck shook his head. **"**Once the Intersect is out of your head, then your life can return to normal. Even without the data in your mind, you're still very brilliant. I said we were going to do whatever it takes to help you find a life that will make you happy. And we will. God knows you've earned it."

Jimmy didn't react. He continued to stare out into space.

"Look, I can't say with all certainty what will happen. All I know is what happened to me. I thought the Intersect was a curse. It strained the relationship with my family, my friends. I've fallen off of buildings, been shot at repeatedly, tortured, you name it. You should know, you were there for it. But somewhere down the line, I started realizing that this was about something greater than me. It was about doing more good than I could ever realize in my life. I had the chance to walk away from it, but I found it was more important to continue with this. The Intersect turned my life completely upside down."

Chuck looked toward Sarah and smiled warmly. "But all the risk gave me a reward greater than I could ever imagine."

Sarah looked at him and smiled as well. Jimmy looked up, feels their gaze on each other. He glanced back and forth.

He turned to Sarah with a raised eyebrow. "So, do you have an older sister? Aunt? Single friends?"

Chuck and Sarah laughed, and Sarah patted Jimmy on the shoulder. "We'll work on it."

Stephen emerged from the bedroom. "I think it will work. I just need to set up a few things. Jimmy, can you come back with me?"

Jimmy stood up and exhaled deeply. "OK, here we go." He walked back to the bedroom with Casey and Stephen.

Stephen guided Jimmy to a desk with a large monitor. His laptop was connected to it, and he was typing in the last of several pieces of code into his program. He reached into his briefcase and pulled out two pairs of sunglasses. He handed one pair to Casey and kept one for himself.

"What you'll see is a series of images. They're designed to cancel the ones in your head. I'm hoping the same set I used for Chuck will work for you as well."

"Without the Intersect cube?" Casey asked.

"I was able to reprogram my computer to use the images that would cancel the original ones without the cube. I worked on it for several months, just in case Chuck ever decided to get the upgraded Intersect out of his head. But if someone wanted to download a new Intersect, they would have to build a new cube. And there's nothing anybody can hold over my head to make me do that again."

He turned to Jimmy. "Are you ready?"

Jimmy looked very nervous. He breathed in and out very slowly once or twice. "Go ahead."

Stephen nodded to Casey, and Casey put his glasses on. Stephen did the same. He typed a code into the computer and hit [ENTER]. The images began to flash on the computer, and Jimmy's eyes went wide, fixated on them.

Chuck and Sarah sat next to each other on the couch.

"At least his goofy sense of humor is still there. Do you think this will work?" Sarah asked.

"I certainly hope so. He really deserves for this to be over. This has been two of the craziest weeks I've ever seen. I can't even imagine how he got through the 20 years before it."

"Well, I imagine jumping off of buildings and leaping on speeding cars were not weekly occurrences for him. Although it's good that he can add those to his resume, right?"

Chuck smiled. "Oh, absolutely. Lots of companies consider it to be a required skill to fight a bunch of armed enemy agents while being able to sing every song from the 80's. It's great entertainment for the Christmas party."

This elicited a laugh from Sarah. "Well, then he's ahead of either of us. I can't sing to save my life."

Chuck stared at her and feigned shock. "Oh, my God! You mean to say there's a skill that Sarah Walker admits to not having? I'm—I'm having a heart attack!" He made a huge show of clutching his chest and keeling over on the couch. Sarah got on top of him and playfully wrestled his wrists back.

"Cut it out, you." She began kissing him.

"Don't you two ever take 5 minutes off from each other?"

Sarah turned her head to see Casey in the hall with a look of disgust on his face.

"It's like watching a couple of horny rabbits or something."

"Sorry, Casey," she replied. "What is it?"

"Mr. Bartowski is done."

The three walked back to the bedroom. Jimmy was slumped over the desk unconscious. Stephen was trying to wake him.

"Jimmy, Jimmy, are you OK?"

Jimmy stirred. He slowly opened his eyes.

"Wh-what? What was that?"

"Wake up. The test is over." Stephen helped Jimmy to a sitting position.

"How do you feel?" Chuck asked nervously.

"I-I-don't know," Jimmy stammered, still trying to come around. "Did it work?"

Stephen pulled a folder out of his briefcase. He handed a series of pictures to Jimmy. "Take a look at these and tell me what you see."

Jimmy took the pictures and started flipping through them, studying each carefully.

"Um, a cat, an elementary school, a baseball game, a shopping mall." His voice began to show encouragement. "An oak tree, a botanical garden, a…"

He flashed on an image of a beach ball, seeing a trio of gangsters, an image of Jimmy Hoffa, and a map of northern Michigan, followed by several people digging a grave outside of a farm.

He dropped the pictures on the floor as the pain hit him. He closed his eyes and held his head. The room was silent. No words needed to be spoken. Stephen hung his head.

"Maybe you were able to get most of them out," Chuck said hopefully. "Maybe the one was just a fluke."

Stephen looked up and shook his head. "Only one of the ten pictures contained coded information. He found it right away."

Jimmy opened his eyes as the pain ebbed. He stared straight ahead in disbelief.

"Jimmy, I'm sorry," Stephen said softly. "Let me work on it for you. Maybe the images need to be re-coded to match the formulae of the original Intersect. Perhaps the two were incompatible. I can fix this. We might still get the Intersect out of you."

Jimmy was silent for a moment and then turned to all of them. Chuck and Sarah couldn't miss the look in his eyes. It was that same vacant look they saw in his yearbook pictures. It was the look they understood fully now. The look of someone who was resigned to accept a fate they didn't want.

"No. You tried. It doesn't matter anymore."

"But you can get back to a normal life." Chuck was almost pleading with Jimmy. "Just give my father a chance."

"It wouldn't matter if the Intersect was out or not. A normal life is something I can't have now. The Ring will never stop coming after me"

He looked at the four of them one by one. "I have to get away from here. All of you are in danger until I do." He slowly rose from his chair.

"Jimmy, wait. Let us come up with an idea." Sarah tried to build as much authority in her voice as she can, hoping to convince him to change his mind.

He looked at her. "There's no alternative, Sarah." Jimmy gave a slight chuckle. "You know, I'm always telling people in my classes that there are many choices in life, and I end up like this. I don't think this will end up in an Alanis Morissette song anytime soon."

He slowly walked out of the room. Chuck, Sarah, Casey, and Stephen looked at each other in silence.

"I can keep working on it once I get back. Maybe he can still be convinced to go through with this," Stephen said.

"We'll have to tell General Beckman," Casey replied. "Let her hand on that information to whoever is assigned to him."

Sarah spoke up. "Chuck, can you take your father back? Casey and I will have to consult with the General." She paused for a moment. "Maybe you should take Jimmy with you."

"That's not a safe thing to do, Walker."

"Maybe it would be a good thing for Jimmy to get away from this for a little while. The last 72 hours have been very difficult for him. We can give them a car that will be monitored there and back. If they get in trouble, we can dispatch local law enforcement in an instant."

Casey didn't feel comfortable with having Chuck and Jimmy on their own, but he relented. He pulled out his mobile phone.

"There should be a suitable car at the field office. I'll set it up."

"I'm really sorry, everybody," Stephen's words were soft and filled with regret. "I want to make this better for him."

"We'll talk to him when he gets back," Sarah replied. "Perhaps he'll have a change of heart."

"It was really good to see all of you again. I'm so grateful you kept an eye on Charles for me."

Stephen shook Casey's hand and gave Sarah a hug. He turned to Chuck. "Let's head back."

Chuck and Stephen walked into the living room, where Jimmy was sitting on the couch with a distant, unfocused look on his face. Chuck walked up to him and gently tapped him on the shoulder.

"You and I are going to drive my father back. Are you up for it?"

Jimmy looked up as if he didn't even recognize Chuck. Although his mind was a million miles away, he still nodded his head. He got up and slowly followed behind Chuck and Stephen out of the apartment. Sarah and Casey followed them out the door.

_**Orange Orange  
**__**October 26, 2009  
**__**11:45 AM**_

There was one thing the CIA taught all of its agents and made sure they did very well: hide what you were feeling, no matter what the circumstances were. Sarah was one of the best at it, at least in her early years. It certainly came into good use right now as a smattering of customers went in and out of the Orange Orange around the lunch hour. She had a smile for each customer, even the annoying ones, although inside she was grateful not to have enough time to go downstairs to the heavy bag in Castle. With the mood she was in, it would have to be replaced within 15 minutes.

In a way, she knew what Jimmy must have felt for a lot of years. She had a tremendous amount of anger right now which couldn't be focused on any single point. Everything he could be mad at was a piece of his past or was someone never to return, like his father. There was nothing or nobody to confront. Sarah never realized how fortunate she was Director Graham found her that day and gave her an outlet to channel her feelings of hurt and betrayal. It was a heavy price she had to pay for her life to turn around, but now it was worth every second of hard work and intensity she put in it.

_Keep you emotions out of your missions_, she was always told. It was certainly good advice. But this was no longer a mission. It was about a friend, one who deserved a lot better than what he had be given up until now. A friend who needed their help. The look in Jimmy's eyes when Stephen was unable to take out his Intersect still hurt her. After everything he did over the last two weeks, she couldn't accept it. Sometimes you had to rescue people from themselves on this job. She told Jimmy he'd never be able to shake them. Now it was time to prove it.

_**Unknown Location  
**__**October 26, 2009  
**__**12:15 PM**_

Chuck drove a nondescript car towards Stephen's condominium. The car had several sensors that were monitored to detect any deviation from the assigned route. There was a GPS navigation system in the dashboard. Stephen sat in the passenger seat and adjusted the radio to a station he liked. Jimmy sat in the back seat, looking out the window. He had said nothing.

"Are you still with us back there?" Stephen asked, but Jimmy didn't respond.

Stephen turned around so he was facing him. "What's going through your mind, Jimmy?"

Jimmy glared at him. "What do you want me to say? They told you I was dead, you were forced back into working, you tried to fix what happened to me, and you've apologized over and over. Your conscience is clear."

Jimmy regretted the brusque tone in which he replied. He went back to staring out the window. The words stung Stephen, but he completely understood where they came from.

"It doesn't matter if you think my conscience is clear or if you forgive me. I'll never forgive myself. What I did to you, what I did to Charles and Ellie, what I did to my wife. I hurt a lot of people. It doesn't even matter whether or not I had a choice in it. I should have figured out how to walk away from all of it. I let them convince me the project was an important contribution to society. I didn't even contemplate what I had back then before all of this was everything I needed in life."

Jimmy looked at him for a moment, and then went back to staring out the window.

"I just don't want you doing that to yourself," Stephen's words were quieter now. "I wish there was a way I could give you back the last 20 years, but I can't. The best I can do is hope that you won't stop battling back. You were that angry kid back then full of piss and fire. Nobody was going to mess with you. There was no limit to what you could have accomplished, and there still isn't. Just let Charles, Sarah, and John help you."

He paused for a moment. "I haven't trusted a lot of people for a long time. But I trust them. Maybe you can, too."

Jimmy looked towards him again with an expression of sadness. He put his head down and returned to looking out the window. Stephen turned around to the front again. The remainder of the trip went in silence.

_**Castle Underground Facility  
**__**October 26, 2009  
**__**12:15 PM**_

Casey sat at a table in Castle writing papers and working on the computer. General Beckman's image appeared on the large LCD monitor.

"Colonel Casey, are you alone?"

Casey stood to attention. "Yes, ma'am."

"I need to talk to you."

His face retained the same expressionless façade, but he could already feel the tension building inside of him.

"What about?"

"This situation with Mr. Slade has gone completely out of control. He is a danger to himself and to all of you. The Ring has become relentless in their pursuit, infiltrated our organization, and they almost captured Chuck. If it weren't for Agent Walker's intervention, Chuck would be in the hands of The Ring right now."

"With respect, ma'am, Slade's assistance to us has been invaluable. He has saved all three of us on several occasions already, he was instrumental in preventing Chuck's capture, and he has done everything we have asked of him and more. On top of that, he has done all of this in spite of being put in this situation by us in the first place and is still willing to work with us. We are responsible for placing him in danger."

"Colonel, I did not call to have a discussion about what he has done or who is responsible. We cannot risk another handoff. You and Agent Walker are to personally deliver him to our secure facility in Oregon within 48 hours."

Casey visibly shudders. Mass murderers are given better treatment than those held in there. "That's our underground supermax facility. He would never see the light of day again."

"You have only one other option: eliminate him. I leave the choice to you, Colonel Casey. You have two days to take James Slade off the grid…permanently."

The LCD screen went off. Casey stared at it for a considerable length of time. His expression did not change, but his mind was racing. He was accustomed to following orders without hesitation. This time, he would not hesitate to disobey them. He quickly walked up to Zork Computer Consultants.

_**Stephen Bartowski's Condominium  
**__**October 26, 2009  
**__**12:45 PM**_

Chuck walked his father to the front door of his building. Jimmy waited by the car with his head down and silent.

"See if you can talk to him," Stephen asked Chuck. "You have a knack for making people feel at ease. Maybe he'll listen to you."

"I'll try, Dad. Love you." Chuck gave his father a hug.

"Love you too, son. Give Ellie and Devon a hug for me. I'm sorry I couldn't stay around longer to see them."

"I will."

Chuck walked back to the car. Jimmy got in the passenger seat. They drove back to Burbank.

_**Zork Computer Consultants  
**__**October 26, 2009  
**__**12:45 PM**_

Casey walked to the front of the office, where Morgan Grimes sat at his computer. He quickly minimized his computer screen so Casey didn't see the online game he was playing.

"Whoah, big Case. I didn't even know you were in the back of the office."

"I'll be back in a moment," was Casey's quick reply.

"Oh, we're all heading out tonight to do a little partying. We're thinking of bringing Todd with us. Cool guy, isn't he?"

Casey turned toward Morgan. "Yeah, yeah he is."

Casey exited the office and stopped for a moment. "The bastard."

He quickly walked to the Orange Orange.

_**Unknown Location  
**__**October 26, 2009  
**__**1:30 PM**_

Chuck and Jimmy continued their drive back to Burbank. Neither had said anything for almost 45 minutes. Chuck looked over at Jimmy, who was looking out the window and appeared to be lost in thought. Chuck jokingly tried check if Jimmy was still alive.

"Yes, I still have a pulse, Chuck." Jimmy's reply was filled with annoyance.

"OK, just making sure." Chuck paused for a moment. "I'm really sorry about what happened. I never expected any of this."

Jimmy exhaled deeply. "We're not Klingons. I don't hold you responsible for what your father did. I don't even hold your dad responsible anymore. I just…I just lost it. I can't stand the fact that I almost did that."

Chuck remained silent, letting Jimmy get the words out.

"I just wish…I don't know what I wish. I just want things to be back to the way they were. I keep thinking I would have been better off if I just taught the training class and moved on to the next job, put on the same frickin' act. I wasn't a happy person; actually I never was. But at least life was consistent at this point. It seems like it's more important now for every day to be the same, even if that isn't good."

"But if that happened, you wouldn't have met any of us. And you certainly can't wish that hadn't happened, given how many times you helped us out."

A little smile came to Jimmy's face. "You're right."

"I always am."

In spite of his mood, Jimmy laughed. Chuck will do that to you. It was pretty obvious how he could have so many friends around, not to mention be with someone as unassailably nice and ridiculously hot as Sarah. If there was anybody to speak an ill word about him…outside of Casey…Jimmy hadn't heard it.

"So, spill. What would you do with Casey?"

"What?" Chuck's question caught Jimmy completely off-guard.

"Well, I've seen what you've done with Lester, Jeff, and Anna. What would you do for Casey?"

"Oh." Jimmy gave it some thought. "I'd say a vacation more than anything else. He's so tightly-wound, when he farts you could use his ass for a flame thrower. He needs a taste of the good life, just to find out what he's been fighting for all this time. I don't know, a trip to Vegas, two weeks in Hawaii surrounded by cute girls in grass skirts, something."

"You know, I can just picture Casey in a hammock, sipping one of those drinks out of a coconut, cute girls fanning him with palm fronds. And…now I wish I hadn't. That really knocks him down a peg or two. OK, what about me?"

"Dude, really. Do you actually need anything? Maybe a day off from getting shot at or people trying to kidnap you, but you've got the secret down. You can see the good in anything and anyone. Hell, you should have my job. You'd do a hundred times better than I do."

Chuck smiled. "OK, good point. What about Sarah?"

Jimmy suddenly looked a bit uncomfortable. "C'mon, that's your girlfriend. You can't ask another guy a question like that about your girlfriend."

"I need help here. I need a neutral opinion. Anything I come up with would be affected by being in love with her. I need someone to give me an honest assessment."

Jimmy thought about it for a moment. "A hug."

"A hug? That's your neutral and honest assessment?"

"You asked, I answered."

"I've hugged her hundreds of times."

"No, you don't get what I mean. I mean at a certain place, a certain time, under certain circumstances. The "right" hug."

"I don't follow."

"Sarah is very adept at keeping her emotions in check. She's affectionate to you, of course, and I don't doubt she loves you beyond words. But somewhere, someday, there will come a point when her emotions won't be able to stay in check. Hell, she almost lost it chewing me out the other night. And obviously, not suppressing your emotions is a lesson I learned the hard way. I don't know what would trigger it, but she just needs to be able to let go of her emotions. Uncork the bottle, as it were. That's when she'll need you the most. She has to know that you'll make it OK for her to be Sarah instead of Agent Walker. She's the safety net for a lot of people, and you have to be the safety net for her."

Chuck was a bit floored by Jimmy's words. This was the first time he received unbiased advice on his relationship with Sarah. He actually had few people he could rely on for that. Certainly asking Casey was pointless, Ellie acted too much like a doting sister to give an unbiased opinion, and any talk with Devon got a little creepy after the first two minutes.

"How will I know?"

Jimmy gave him a reassuring look. "You'll know. You probably know her better than anybody ever did."

"Given how little I know about her, that statement feels very odd."

"You know the important stuff. That's all you need."

Chuck smiled. He wished Jimmy could heed some of his own advice. He seemed to be a wizard at helping others but completely lost when it came to himself.

"What about you?" Chuck asked.

"What about me?"

"There has to be something you want."

Jimmy shook his head. "I have to admit finding your weird, panicky yet eternally optimistic demeanor fun. It's very out of left field. It's no wonder everybody likes you. But the only place the CIA is going to send me is the rubber Radisson. I'm useless with a 20 year old Intersect in my head. It's like having a jealous ex. They don't want me but won't let anybody else have me, either. You have your family and friends out there, so they had to accommodate you. I don't have any of that. I never lived more than 2 years in the same town. The only people I have ever gotten close to were…well, all of you. And all that did was put you in great danger."

Jimmy turned his head away and looked out the window so Chuck couldn't see him. He could feel the tears coming. His voice was a whisper.

"What I want…there's no point in wanting anything when you know in your heart you can never have it."

The rest of the drive back went in silence.

_**Orange Orange  
**__**October 26, 2009  
**__**12:45 PM**_

Casey walked into the yogurt shop. The place was empty. Sarah was cleaning up several tables.

"Sarah, I need to talk to you."

She turned around and felt the alarm at Casey addressing her by her first name.

"What's wrong?"

"I just talked to Beckman. She ordered us to deliver Slade to the facility in Oregon within 48 hours."

"They want to put him underground permanently? After being on the run for 20 years? There's no way Jimmy would do that. He'd kill himself first."

"Beckman only gave me two options: that, or…"

Casey didn't need to finish the sentence. Sarah had hoped there would be more time. She was afraid something like this might happen, and she was already thinking of an alternative. Unfortunately, General Beckman just ran out their clock. The last thing she wanted to do was send Jimmy off on his own because that was the riskiest proposition. But that may be the only choice now.

"If we have 48 hours, maybe we can set it up so that Jimmy…"

Sarah was interrupted by the door chime. Nobody entered, but a large canister was thrown into the shop. Before either of them could react, it exploded in a flash of light. Sarah and Casey were blinded. A second canister was thrown into the shop. This canister released gas. Sarah and Casey staggered around, trying to get their bearings. The gas overtook them. They started coughing, and they were rendered unconscious.

Four individuals walked in wearing masks and heavy military-style black outfits. They searched the unconscious Sarah and Casey and removed their weapons and mobile phones. They placed handcuffs on each. A person outside held the door open while the four agents take their bodies out. The figure closed the door, and then they removed their mask.

Alicia Grant watched Sarah and Casey be placed into the back of the van.

"That should make finding Bartowski and Slade much easier now."


	14. Research Project

_This chapter is a little shorter, mainly a setup before the big finale. Lots of references to other shows throughout this fanfic, including **Kentucky Fried Movie**, **Welcome Back, Kotter**, **Caddyshack**, **Fletch **(and **Fletch Lives**), **Something Wild**, even **Sex and the City**. (If you can find the SatC reference in the story, that is very scary. :-D )_

_As always, please leave feedback. I'm very curious to know if I should attempt to write another fanfic after this. The only way I know is by feedback, good, bad, or otherwise._

_Enjoy!_

* * *

_**Orange Orange  
**__**October 26, 2009  
**__**2:15 PM**_

Chuck and Jimmy pulled into the Buy More lot and parked next to Sarah's Porsche. They walked toward the yogurt shop. Chuck noticed something on the windows.

"I swear they cleaned the windows on these stores the other day."

Jimmy looked up and noticed as well. He frowned.

"It doesn't look like dust or residue from the grassy areas. It looks like…" Jimmy was suddenly panicking. "Chuck, give me the keys to the car, quick."

Chuck handed him the keys but continued to stare at him, wondering what was going on.

"Stay there," Jimmy told him. "Don't enter yet."

Jimmy returned to the car the NSA provided and opened the trunk. There was a strongbox bolted to the floor of the trunk. Another key on the ring opened it. He took out a gun and two clips. He loaded one clip and put the other in his pocket. He went to the entrance and motioned for Chuck to stand behind him. He slowly wedged his foot in the door and then kicked it the rest of the way open, pointing the gun as he entered. He motions for Chuck to stay quiet. He took only two steps in. Chuck looked around. He saw the two canisters on the ground and feared the worst.

"Jimmy, look." Chuck whispered and pointed at the two canisters.

Jimmy spots the canisters, and his eyes went wide. He turned around and smashed the surveillance camera above the door with the gun. Reaching for a napkin dispenser, he whipped it at the surveillance camera above the counter, knocking it out. He proceeded forward slowly, his left hand tensing on the gun. His voice was barely above a whisper but laced with fear.

"Chuck, get us into Castle."

The two moved slowly to the freezer. Jimmy grabbed the two canisters and handed Chuck one to carry. Chuck turned the storage light, revealing the access panel to Castle. He punched in his code, and the retinal scanner positively identified him. As the door slid open, Jimmy pointed the gun down the stairwell. He moved cautiously down the stairs with Chuck following close behind. They looked throughout Castle but saw nobody.

"What the hell is going on?" Chuck asked fearfully.

"I think The Ring have Sarah and Casey."

Chuck froze in his tracks. The dread and alarm overtook him. Jimmy walked to one of the computers.

"See if you can bring up the video surveillance. I'll try to ping their mobile phones and locate them that way."

Chuck was still frozen in place and unresponsive.

"Chuck?" Jimmy asked softly at first. "Chuck!"

Chuck shook his head trying to clear out his mind and refocus himself. "Yeah, OK."

Chuck went to a computer across the room. Jimmy typed away furiously at his computer, trying to locate the GPS signals in Sarah's and Casey's mobile phones.

"Dammit, nothing," Jimmy said in disgust. "How about you?"

Jimmy walked over to Chuck's computer, where Chuck was studying the surveillance feed from the shop's cameras. They saw both Sarah and Casey in the store, and then the canister was thrown in. A flash of light blinded the cameras.

"Nothing. But they are together."

"That must have been a flash grenade they threw in, kind of like the one Sarah handed us for the van." Jimmy checked the timestamp on the video. "This happened about 90 minutes ago."

Chuck changed the video to the outside camera and rolled back the footage. The video flashed before showing static.

"Run it again, slow replay." Jimmy looked carefully at the image as Chuck rolled the film forward again at one-quarter speed. Jimmy took note of something right before the footage cut out.

"They must have shot it out before getting in range. But I swear I saw a van roll into the shot before we lost it."

"Cargo van? Black?" Chuck confirmed what Jimmy saw.

"Just like the one they put us in the other day."

Chuck rose from the computer and grabbed the video remote control from the main table. He punched in a code, and General Beckman's image appeared on the monitor.

"General, The Ring have captured Sarah and Casey," he said in a rush. "We need to find them."

"What happened?"

Jimmy explained what they found. "As far as we can tell, The Ring threw a flash grenade into the shop to blind them and the cameras. The other canister we have appears to have some sort of residue on its outer casing, and that same residue was all over the windows and surfaces of the shop. Could have been a gas canister to knock them unconscious. The only other thing we saw was a black van similar to the one they transported us in when we were captured. But we didn't get a good shot of the plates. They've been gone for just over 90 minutes."

"I am ordering the two of you to stay in Castle and locked down. We are dispatching someone immediately. You two are on the next plane to Washington D.C. Do not leave under ANY circumstances."

Chuck was both confused and worried. "But General, what about Sarah and Casey?"

"I am sorry, Chuck. They are not our priority at this time. Securing the two of you is of paramount importance."

Jimmy was starting to grow aggravated. "You're not even going to dispatch personnel to find them?"

Beckman kept her voice in check, unaccustomed to her orders being questioned. "As I said, Mr. Slade, securing the two of you takes precedence. Wait for extraction. Do nothing…I repeat…nothing else."

The monitor went blank. Chuck continued to stare at the screen while Jimmy looked at it in disgust.

"Bureaucratic bitch." Jimmy turned on his heel and went back to the computer. He continued to study the surveillance video. After a moment, he looked back and saw Chuck still standing there.

"Chuck?" Jimmy prodded softly. Chuck turned slowly in Jimmy's direction.

"Hey, I don't work for Beckman." Jimmy's voice was brimming with defiance. "Are you officially on the payroll?"

A smile slowly spread across Chuck's face. "I just resigned."

Chuck walked over to the computer to study the surveillance video with Jimmy. He then looked over at the two canisters they brought downstairs.

"What about the canisters? Could there be something on them?"

Chuck and Jimmy walked over to the canisters. They picked them up and looked carefully for clues.

"I don't know. Maybe," Jimmy said. "A serial number, some kind of identifying logo. Maybe we can figure out the manufacturer of them and trace them back."

Chuck looked along the rim of the gas canister to find an 8-character serial number: MJC26559. He flashed, seeing a graduating class, a large library, and then a business card. He could not be more perplexed.

"McCarran, Jacobson, and Cole? Why the hell would I flash on a law firm? What does that have to do with anything?"

Jimmy heard the three names and had a flash of his own. He saw a South American jungle, a cache of weapons, and several people shot and killed during a money exchange. He closed his eyes and held his head from the pain.

"Not a law firm." Jimmy grunted as he tried to shake off the flash. "An accounting firm. One that was used to launder money from drugs going to the U.S. in order to purchase weapons back in the mid-80's. But why would they still be around?"

"I don't know." Chuck went to the computer to search several government databases on the names.

"According to FBI and IRS records, McCarran, Jacobson, and Cole is purely legit." Chuck scrolled through the information. "They do accounting services for mid-level companies, mainly in the $5 to $20 million dollar range. They have offices in New York, Washington D.C., Chicago, Los Angeles, and an office in Nebraska."

Jimmy was baffled. "Nebraska? That's odd. Why would you have an accounting office in Nebraska and not somewhere like, say, Charlotte or Atlanta, where the big corporations are?"

"No idea."

Jimmy was ready to pull the remaining hair on his head out. He paced back and forth.

"OK, gotta think like a bad guy. Think like a bad guy," he muttered to himself as he paced back and forth, wondering why all that hate and anger he accumulated over a lifetime wouldn't work to his advantage right now.

Suddenly he stopped. "Can you pull up an image of their Nebraska office?"

"Sure," Chuck replied and typed the necessary information into the computer. The location of the Nebraska office was about 15 miles west of Lincoln. The office looked like an old fast food restaurant.

Jimmy located something on the satellite image of the office. "Chuck, do those look like warehouses in the distance?" Jimmy pointed to the buildings a few miles away from the accounting office's location.

"It looks like they are. Why?"

Jimmy took a shot in the dark. "OK. Let's say I was trying to control vital sectors of this country. I would need to establish bases of operation in key locations. New York houses the world financial community; Chicago controls agriculture and is the country's transportation hub. D.C. keeps you within earshot of the government and the intelligence community, and Los Angeles is good for media and if you did a lot of trafficking of arms and other items with, say, China or North Korea."

Chuck's interest was piqued. "And Nebraska?"

"Well, if I had lots of armament, equipment, and high-tech gear, I would need lots of storage. Maybe I'd buy someone's farm for dirt cheap and place buildings on it. Fewer roads, easier to restrict access."

"OK, that makes sense. But would they take Sarah and Casey there? Or where would they take them?"

"I'm guessing no. They know they're going against the clock. It's only a matter of time before we're stuck underground, which means they have to find us before that happens. They'll do whatever it takes to get the info out of Sarah and Casey as quickly as they can. They're probably going to try and drug them into giving information."

Jimmy's face had an instant look of regret for the analytical way he just talked about Sarah and Casey. After a moment of surprise, Chuck spoke up, knowing what was going through Jimmy's mind.

"Hey, I know you didn't mean it like that. That's a lot of info you just gave us. It might be enough."

Chuck turned to the computer and looked up McCarran, Jacobson, and Cole in the Los Angeles area. "Hmm, this is weird. The location is just an office building near Pacific Palisades. It's a single building in a corporate park, 3 floors, but there are 6 other companies in the same building. Why move a private military organization so close to a bunch of other companies?"

"That's a good question." Jimmy went to another computer to do more research. He found something regarding the building. "McCarran, Jacobson, and Cole are the oldest tenants. They've been there since mid-2002. All of the other companies have moved in during the last 24 months."

Suddenly Jimmy froze. "Wait a minute. There were 9 other companies in the building, most of whom were there before the accounting firm. However, all of the leases expired, and they were never offered renewal, even though none of them missed a payment. That wouldn't make any sense unless…"

Chuck's eyes widened. He fell back in his chair at the realization. "…unless all of the other companies are merely fronts. The Ring controls the whole building. Sarah and Casey are in there somewhere."

The same cold wave overtaking Chuck was now felt by Jimmy. "And we can't get anybody to bring them out."

**_Pacific Palisades, CA  
October 26, 2009  
1:45 PM_**

Several agents dragged a handcuffed Casey into a windowless 8 x 10 room. They forced him down in the chair bolted to the floor in the middle of the room. They placed a handcuff on each wrist and then removed the ones he was already wearing. Each handcuff chain was bolted to the floor, restricting his movements. His ankles were also chained to the floor.

Emmanuel Murphy entered the room and motioned for the other agents to stand aside.

"Well, Colonel. I admit it took quite a bit of effort to bring you in. Clearly we erred in trying to turn you into a hostage. Rest assured, you will not be used in that capacity today."

Casey's voice was almost a growl. "It's going to be a long afternoon if you think you'll be able to beat any information out of me."

Murphy hit Casey with a vicious right cross. Casey shook off the pain.

"First of all, don't interrupt. Second of all, I never said we were planning to get any information out of you. You're our secondary source. We'll start with the woman. If she proves to be ineffective, then we may try some of the new medications the biochem group developed. They are curious to see if these new drugs work on you. Of course, it'll give the guys up here plenty of time to have a little…fun…with Agent Walker."

Casey became enraged and tried to lunge towards Murphy. The chains held him down. It took every fiber of self-discipline in Casey to calm down again. Inwardly, he knew he just committed a big mistake. Never show emotion. He was starting to hate what this two-year mission did to him. It made him part-human again.

"Really, Colonel?" Murphy's voice was condescending with shades of amusement. "Over 20 years in the military and the NSA, and you react like that? You have to work on your self-discipline a bit. Although if it's any consolation, I'm not exactly innocent on such things as leaving your emotions at the door. I have to admit a certain satisfaction to bringing some pain into your life."

"If you want pain, try looking in a mirror," Casey seethed, almost mocking the IT analyst and ex-Marine.

Murphy hit Casey again. Blood began to pour out of Casey's nose.

"Well, I guess you just want to make this a little more fun for me."

Murphy moved to within inches of Casey's face. He pulled out a long knife and twisted its blade in Casey's line of vision.

"You'll be in for a long day, Colonel. But I can tell you how this will end. This knife will be in your chest. The same place where you put it in my friend."

* * *

Two agents dragged a struggling Sarah into another 8 x 10 room. Unlike the room Casey was in, this room had the appearance of a doctor's examination room; at least, if there were wall posters and lots of glass jars full of cotton. Instead of an examination table, a chair similar to the one found in a dentist's office sat. There were straps on each armrest, and an IV stand was attached to the back. The agents placed Sarah in the chair, leaving her handcuffed. They walked out of the room and closed the door. She could hear the door lock.

Sarah was extremely worried with a borderline of fright. However, it had nothing to do with what she thought The Ring would do to her. She had been in this situation several times before. Thinking in their terms, she predicted they wouldn't try to physically beat any information out of her, and trying to torture her in front of Casey, or vice versa, wouldn't get them anyplace. Her concern was the use of drugs to force her to reveal what she knew about Chuck and Jimmy. Although she had been trained to withstand several types of truth drugs, there was no way to know for certain what kind of medications The Ring might attempt to use. This was not exactly an organization that waited for FDA approval on the medications they would use for torture.

It was the two people probably arriving at Castle right now that worried her the most. Chuck and Jimmy were smart enough to deduce Casey and she were kidnapped. Worse, they were undoubtedly smart enough to piece together the information and figure out whatever location they were at right now. They might attempt to contact General Beckman. However, if Beckman followed standard protocol, her only concern would be to secure them in an underground bunker. Their two handlers would not be a priority and would be expendable. If Chuck and Jimmy did the right thing, they would only worry about themselves and wait for extraction.

Unfortunately, Chuck and Jimmy were the last people you could rely on to worry only about themselves and not try something stupid and crazy like a rescue attempt.

Sarah may have only known Jimmy for two weeks, but he was clearly the type who wouldn't think twice…or even once…about risking his life to save someone else. In those situations, the guy was 100% heart and 0% brains. He didn't care one bit about what happened to him; only what happened to someone else. It was ironic she encouraged him to join the CIA when the first thing the Agency made sure its agents knew was being a hero only got you killed. Save the heroics for the military, cops, and firefighters.

A cold sense of terror permeated her body, making her shiver in fear. The one thing that made Sarah wake up in the middle of the night since admitting her love to Chuck was this exact scenario. She knew he would never think rationally about this. He would not care walking in here would be exactly what The Ring would want him to do. This was the very situation that got her in trouble several times. Only now, someone who didn't have the comprehensive training of a CIA agent would commit that potentially fatal error. A small part of her may have loved the fact Chuck would mount such an attempt, but the rest of her being feared the results. The possibility of losing Chuck, especially in this manner, was causing her feelings to reach the boiling point.

She exhaled slowly to take control of her emotions and shove them into a deep corner of her mind. She knew they would do her no good right now. Getting emotionally distraught over things out of her control was a cardinal sin in this business. She refocused on the things she could control. She moved her hand deep into her back pocket and slowly extracted a small, 3-sectioned case. There were raised markings on the top of each of the three compartments. Her fingers glided over those markings to find the specific one she needed. She opened that compartment and took the item inside of it out. She slid the case back into her pocket, minimizing her movements in case there were security cameras watching, and placed the object between the fingers in her right hand.

Alicia Grant entered the room. Her appearance was different from the day in Zork. This time, Grant was all business.

"Our medical people will be here in a few moments. I'm sure you would like to try out some of the psychological tactics the CIA teaches you on me, but that would just be insulting to the both of us. We're professionals. We're probably two of the only women in this world who would list _The Art of War_ by Sun Tzu among our favorite books. So let's do each other the courtesy of not trying to make this any more personal than it is.

"I hope you are in a talking mood. I'd really hate to have to break out the hard medications on you."

Grant walked out of the room. Sarah was almost grateful to Grant for saying those things because she was now refocused on the task at hand. Sarah was all business as well.

**_Castle Underground Facility  
October 26, 2009  
2:30 PM_**

Chuck and Jimmy sat quietly by the computers for several moments. The prospect of rescuing Sarah and Casey from a Ring facility was hanging over their heads. They looked at each other. Both purposefully rose from their chairs. They did not say anything, but they walked to the weapons cabinet. Chuck pulled a bullet-proof vest from the closet and strapped it on himself. Jimmy located the one sent for him and put it on. He retrieved several automatic weapons, two pistols, and extra clips for all of them. He slung the automatic weapons on his shoulder, holstered the pistols, and placed the extra magazines in a small bag, which he clipped to his belt. He moved over to a locked cabinet with a digital keypad.

"Do you know the combination for this?" Jimmy asked.

"Only Casey knows. Maybe the combination is on his desk somewhere."

Chuck went to find the combination. Jimmy looked at the keypad for a second and tried a code. The cabinet opened, and Jimmy was very impressed at what he saw inside.

"Looking in here must give Casey an orgasm or something."

Jimmy grabbed a backpack and emptied the contents of the cabinet into it. He then placed it on his shoulder. Chuck returned from the desk, and his mouth dropped open when he saw the cabinet unlocked.

"How the hell did you do that?"

Jimmy gave a little smile. "Casey should be more original. The combo was Reagan's birthday."

Chuck was almost livid. "I don't believe him!"

"Well, he did switch the month and day around."

Chuck noticed the backpack Jimmy was carrying. "What's in there?"

Jimmy glanced at the backpack and turned to Chuck with a serious look on his face. "Fourth and long."

Jimmy looked at Chuck for a moment, assessing what Chuck might be thinking.

"Are you sure you want to do this? I don't mean to go all Gene Hackman on you, but this is as real as it gets. If we want Sarah and Casey back, we have to take them back. By force. On enemy turf. Add to that the fact we're walking into the backyard of the people trying to capture us, which must make us the two dumbest people on the planet. Maybe we are. Or maybe we're just a couple of former nerds who give enough of a damn to save the people we care about."

"I'm ready."

Jimmy nodded but looked straight into Chuck's eyes. "Are you sure?"

Never before in his life was Chuck's voice filled with so much resolve. "I'm willing to die for her."

Jimmy nodded. His voice softened in a caring, almost father-like fashion. "But are you willing to kill for her?"

The question stopped Chuck. It didn't escape Jimmy's attention Chuck never took a gun out of the locker. It was the thing that gave him pause about whether Chuck was truly ready for this. In a way, however, Jimmy was glad Chuck never grabbed a weapon. That might change Chuck into something people may not be ready to deal with, including Jimmy. But he did know weapons or not, it wouldn't stop Chuck from trying to rescue Sarah and Casey.

Sarah thought Jimmy could be a phenomenal CIA agent. To some extent, he was just given a de-facto promotion. Jimmy put his hand up before Chuck could reply to what Jimmy asked him. He had an understanding smile on his face.

"Well Frodo, that's why Sam is coming with you."

Chuck smiled. "Actually, I think you're supposed to be Aragorn in this situation."

Jimmy gave Chuck an even bigger smile. "Dude, there's no way I can pull off Viggo Mortensen. I mean, really."

The two of them headed upstairs to the Orange Orange.


	15. Two Against the World

_This is the 15th and final chapter of "Chuck vs. the Alpha Version." A big thanks to those of you who reviewed it, especially jagged1, NickyR, and PMoore. I'm glad you liked the new additions from the original scripts. I hope everybody else enjoyed reading it, and please feel free to leave comments._

_I'm contemplating having a list of references that were to be found in the story, although I'm surprised nobody figured out where Jimmy's name came from. (I even left a clue in Chapter 12. :-) ) Let me know what was good or bad with the story._

* * *

_**Buy More Parking Lot  
October 26, 2009  
2:40 PM**_

Chuck and Jimmy walked to the NSA car that brought them back from Stephen Bartowski's home. Jimmy loaded the weapons in the back of the car. He shut the door and looked at Chuck. It didn't take a degree in psychology to realize thoughts were racing through Chuck's mind right now. Jimmy was feeling the same way.

"Do you have any sort of plan on how to rescue them?" Chuck asked.

Jimmy looked away for a moment, not happy with the answer he was about to give. "Unfortunately, planning ahead is not one of my strengths. I'm more of a 'break glass in case of emergency' guy. I gave an hour-long talk once in front of 5,000 people completely off the cuff."

"Uh, those 5,000 people weren't trying to kill you."

Jimmy raised an eyebrow. "Well, not at the beginning of the talk." He started looking around the car. "First, we have to make sure we can't be tracked."

Chuck reached into his back pocket. "Cell phones." He removed the battery in his phone and looked down at the bottom of the car.

"Right." Jimmy removed the battery from his as well. He started inspecting the car. "There's probably a GPS tracker somewhere on this thing. We'll have to get rid of it."

Chuck stood up with a small metal object in his hand. "What GPS tracker?" He threw the tracker away.

"OK. One more thing." Jimmy opened the glove compartment and found a black permanent marker. He went to the front of the car and changed a 3 on the license plate to an 8 and an F to an E. He went to the rear license plate and made the same changes. Chuck looked on with plenty of skepticism.

"That's not going to fool anybody."

"It might if they were looking at the plates from a satellite image or a traffic camera. Those were probably the things we have to worry about the most. Just has to fool them enough so they don't give it a second thought."

"That's a good point. So, how do we get in the building?"

"Let's worry about that on the way. I sure as hell don't want this to fail because we got stuck in traffic."

Jimmy got in the driver's seat, and Chuck went to the passenger seat. They pulled out of the parking lot and headed west to the 101.

_**Pacific Palisades, CA  
October 26, 2009  
3:00 PM**_

Murphy continued his assault on Casey. He took a baseball bat and rammed the end of it into Casey's midsection. Casey doubled-over in the chair coughing hard and trying to breathe again. Two of the agents behind Casey pulled him up. Murphy rammed the bat again into Casey's midsection. Casey struggled to inhale as blood spat out of his mouth. Murphy stood there with a self-satisfied grin.

"Well, at least the NSA hasn't softened you too much, Colonel. Usually the older you get the less physical punishment you can tolerate. It becomes a mental game at that point. Only a select few can put up with extreme torture for long periods of time."

Casey looked up, and the defiance in his eyes hadn't wavered one bit. "If you really want to torture me, continue with your little speech."

Murphy delivered a sadistic hook to Casey. The cuts Devon repaired split open, and Casey was bleeding down the left side of his head. He was dazed, but Casey slowly turned his head forward again. He saw the rage on Murphy's face.

"You're right," Casey's vitriol towards Murphy had an almost condescending tone to it. "You aren't immune to not leaving your emotions at the door. Interesting."

Murphy looked ready to take Casey's head off with the bat, but he caught the looks of the other four agents. Their faces were impassive, but Murphy's mind did not register it that way. He finally calmed down, looking at Casey with the same self-satisfied grin as before.

"Nice try, Colonel. Really, it's a shame you're not working for us. You'd be very valuable."

"Yeah, you have pretty easy standards," Casey's voice was ripe with sarcasm. "Just have to piss all over the flag, and I could be running the place."

Murphy delivered another brutal cross at Casey. Casey was barely retaining consciousness but still had a look of contempt for Murphy.

"Your smug little grin is gone."

* * *

Alicia Grant, two armed agents, and two technicians walked into the examination room. One of the agents put a gun to Sarah's temple. The other agent uncuffed her, and then both agents strapped her wrists to the chair. Once completed, they stepped back with their guns drawn. The two technicians moved in, placing an IV bottle on the stand behind her. They prepared to insert a needle into her arm. Alicia Grant watched the proceedings.

"Just so you know, Agent Walker, I don't recommend you try anything like slipping out of the restraints and using one of the technicians as a hostage. If you do…"

"They'll shoot me?" Sarah asked with considerable anger in her voice, eyeing the two armed agents.

Grant's response was far more composed. "No. They'll shoot the technicians, and then they'll wing body parts off of you until you're screaming and begging for them to end your life. I just wanted to make sure you knew using them to escape will be of no value to you. We have no qualms about killing them in order to prevent you from doing that."

Sarah sat back in the chair, trying hard not to change her expression. Although it shouldn't have surprised her Grant would resort to such tactics, her cool detachment towards Sarah was still very unsettling. Time was starting to run out quickly, and she had few options. She could only hope they wouldn't try to use drugs on Casey as well. Not because he would succumb to them, but he would never let them get that far. He would be dead, along with as many people as he could take with him, before he'd let them inject him.

As the technician inserted the IV into her vein, she let the small object between her fingers fall into her closed hand. She could feel the short needle of the injector against her palm. She didn't want to use it until they had actually injected the drugs into her; otherwise they would know she was pulling something on them.

Sarah looked over at the vial of chlorotrilate on the tray, wishing it was four weeks later. She had been scheduled to fly to Johns Hopkins just after Thanksgiving for CIA training on withstanding several new types of truth medications, and chlorotrilate was one of them. It was an experimental drug the CIA heard about through chatter and was popular among organized crime in the former Soviet bloc. It produced a state of mind similar to extreme intoxication but was also 20 times the strength of Pentothal. It could be defeated by building up a tolerance, but it took two weeks of controlled injections to achieve that. If what she read about the drug was right, Grant would likely give her a minimal dosage to start. There were unconfirmed reports dozens of people had extreme reactions to larger doses of the drug, including grand mal seizures, psychotic episodes, and even death. Hopefully, the CIA-issued medication in her right hand would render her unconscious, and The Ring would think they gave her too much chlorotrilate.

But to what end? It would prevent her from giving any information, but then they would simply wait until she recovered and try again. Buying some time would certainly be helpful, but there was only one way she and Casey were being rescued, and she prayed those two wouldn't be crazy enough to try it.

Or, was she taking the wrong line of thinking regarding Chuck and Jimmy? As much as she didn't want to believe it, she had to accept the fact those two were likely on their way. But instead of being afraid they would be captured or killed, maybe it was better to think they might actually succeed. It was a little odd how much she had praised Jimmy for what he had done to suddenly think he couldn't pull off another miracle. People spent his entire life not giving him a chance, and they were proven wrong. Perhaps she'll be proven right once again. And Chuck was right in that the new Intersect gave him a great advantage. He was much more confident these days and far more resourceful. Certainly he had the skills to affect a rescue if done right. And there was zero doubt he had the courage to do it. She always thought Chuck was a far greater person than even he realized. Why stop thinking that way now?

The CIA always preached a positive attitude in these situations. Sarah understood that now more than ever before. It was certainly making this situation a little more tolerable.

* * *

Chuck and Jimmy drovealong the road just outside of the Ring facility. They were not yet on the grounds.

Chuck turned to Jimmy. "We need a plan of attack. Any ideas?"

"Yeah, I'm still blanking a bit here," Jimmy answered with a tinge of embarrassment. "Usually, I would go into situations like this guns blazing and not giving a rat's ass what happens. However, I don't think that's going to work this time."

"It would be much easier if we can get as many bad guys out of that building as possible," Chuck replied.

Chuck heard the low murmur of a police-band radio in the NSA car. A smile spread across his face.

The lobby of the building was Spartan in design, with only a large desk off to the side, and a security officer behind it, monitoring surveillance cameras and public radio frequencies. Two guards armed with TDI Vector .45 ACP sub-machine guns stood in the hallway, preventing anybody from walking beyond the lobby. The security officer behind the desk heard a message cut in on local law enforcement bands. He tuned in the correct frequency.

_California Highway Patrol, Unit 4755, in pursuit of gray Chevrolet Malibu, identification of suspects wanted by federal authorities. Occupants of the vehicle include one Anthony Todd, one Charles Bartowski. Suspects traveling south on Interstate 405 near Long Beach Airport. Suspects may be attempting to leave state. C.H.P. and L.A.P.D. coordinate efforts for apprehension of suspects._

The security guard immediately got on his radio.

Outside in the car, Chuck and Jimmy were smiling.

"I'm just glad you didn't say a white Ford Bronco," Jimmy quipped. "That would wake everybody up."

"Now let's see if it actually works."

Two minutes later, twenty agents poured out of the building and got into several large SUV's.

Jimmy was wearing the biggest grin Chuck had ever seen on him. "You are a devious individual, Mr. Bartowski."

"I hope that got rid of the really bad guys."

Jimmy parked the car behind a hill out of the direct line of sight from the building. He got out of the car and grabbed the weapons out of the back seat. He closed the door with a bit of a flourish.

"Mrs. Peel, we're needed!" Jimmy broke out a semi-appropriate quote.

Chuck looked at him oddly. "Who's Mrs. Peel?"

Jimmy rolled his eyes. "I give up."

They walked around the hill, approaching the building from the side. Jimmy tried to grab a gun with his right hand and winced.

"Dammit, I wish I found that wire before breaking my thumb." He looked at his misshapen hand. "I look like G.I. Joe with the Kung-Fu grip."

Chuck pulled a gun from behind Jimmy's back and gently placed it in his right hand. "Can you hang on to it?"

Jimmy tried to do so. "Barely. I hope I don't have to aim with this hand. I guess that's what the left hand is for." He pulled out a second gun for that hand. The two slowly walked to the entrance. They paused, and Jimmy peered inside.

"Wait here." Jimmy whispered to Chuck. He walked in casually with the guns out of sight. Chuck watched him disappear inside the building. He then heard gunshots; two in quick succession followed by a third.

"Clear!" Jimmy voice called him in. Chuck entered the lobby. The two guards and the person at the computer were dead. He bristled at seeing the blood-stained bodies.

"Uh, about being ready for this…"

Jimmy cut him off. "Too late for that now, man." Jimmy went behind the desk and pulled the security guard and his chair away. Chuck sat down at a second chair, manning the computer. He studied the program being used to run the video surveillance cameras throughout the building.

"I think I can set this up to loop the video feed."

"Nice. Do it." Jimmy pulled the bodies into a nearby storage closet while Chuck worked on the computer. Chuck was able to bypass the program's protocols and set up the video feed to record and loop. However, the drives to store the video were security-protected. He paused for a second before taking a flash drive off of his key ring and inserting it into the computer. Jimmy returned to see what Chuck was doing and was amused.

"Never leave home without your flash drive, huh?"

Chuck smiled. "It'd be like James Bond without his Walther PPK."

He rerouted the video feed to record on his flash drive. As the video recorded, he checked what was on the various cameras.

"There are two guards standing outside of a room."

"Sounds like where we need to go," Jimmy replied. "Where is it?"

Chuck checked the information on the feed. "It's on the third floor, directly above us."

"Can you see into any of the rooms?"

Chuck looked at all of the video feeds. "Only a few. None of them have Sarah or Casey inside."

"OK, whoever is on the third floor, we can get them to the car, and then they can call the cavalry."

"Sounds good, but how do we locate the other person?"

Jimmy was a bit stumped. "I don't know. Find someone and make them tell us. Guess we can't play nice if they refuse to talk. There's no time for it."

Jimmy looked at Chuck, who seemed a bit apprehensive at that thought. It was the first time Jimmy realized he might be well ahead of Chuck on doing things that most human beings shouldn't or wouldn't do. He just killed three guards in cold blood. They may have been the enemy and they might have killed him if given the chance, but he didn't wait for that to happen. He wasn't sure if Chuck was ever faced with having to do something like that. Chuck didn't strike him as the type who would do that unless he had absolutely no alternative and maybe not even then. Perhaps part of Jimmy's task today was to delay that for Chuck as long as he could. He was already past the point of no return himself.

"Guess I'll get to work out a few more of my anger issues," Jimmy said darkly, more to himself than to Chuck. He snapped back to the present, his voice more confident. "Let's go."

Chuck and Jimmy located a stairwell in the lobby and headed upstairs to the third floor.

* * *

Still handcuffed to the chair, Casey struggled to maintain consciousness. His nose was broken, he had bruises along both sides of his face, and he continued to bleed. He struggled to breathe with two of his ribs cracked by the baseball bat Murphy was using.

"I must say, Colonel, you're line of thinking is very disappointing. You, of all people, should know how futile our policies are regarding other countries. They feel the need to attack us any way they want, yet they demand that we follow Marquess of Queensberry rules when dealing with them. It doesn't matter who is in the White House. We need people that aren't afraid to stand up to these despots instead of playing nice and hoping for the best."

"You sound like a bad episode of _The A-Team_. Why don't you just give yourself a mohawk and be done with it?"

Murphy brought his foot up and smashed it on Casey's right knee. He screamed in pain.

"You're gonna be a badass to the end, aren't you," Murphy attempted to hide the anger in his voice. "Suit yourself. The end is coming soon, anyway."

* * *

Grant watched one of the two technicians draws a small amount of chlorotrilate into the syringe. A call over her radio drew her attention away. She acknowledged the message.

"Well, it looks like your two boyfriends are heading out of town. I really can't blame them. I'm sure they were ordered to do so. No matter, we'll have them soon. Too bad you were ordered to protect Slade. Seems like a waste of your time and talent to have to protect his pathetic ass."

Sarah said nothing, but her eyes were daggers at Grant. She wouldn't give Grant the satisfaction of getting in her head. But she had to admit it would be worth it for Chuck and Jimmy to show up, just so she could watch Jimmy show this bitch how "pathetic" he was.

Grant continued. "Chuck is the real enigma here. He works with you; you and Casey protect him as well. And based on what happened in the nightclub and on the freeway, even Slade seems to care more about him than his own life. The group of you is one of the government's most successful teams. We need to find out what makes him so special. The drug we are giving you should help us."

Sarah watched the medical technician inject the chlorotrilate into the IV tubing. She clenched her fist, the small needle injecting the vial of medication into her hand. The technician stepped back, and everyone in the room observed Sarah.

* * *

Chuck and Jimmy slowly ascended the stairwell. Like the lobby, the stairwell was dark and bereft of any character, if stairwells could exhibit such a thing. It certainly was appropriate, given they were about to walk into a firefight. Try as he might, Chuck couldn't shake the thought he and Jimmy might be dead in the next few minutes. The odds of rescuing Sarah and Casey successfully were not good, especially for an agent-in-training and someone who didn't even know he had this talent until two weeks ago. It felt a lot different to be mounting the attack rather than defending against it. He deferred to Cole Barker the only other time he attempted something like this, and that still landed him a twisted ankle and a bullet in Cole. Looking up at Jimmy two stairs ahead of him, Chuck couldn't figure out how in the hell he could act like this was just another day at the office. It was driving Chuck crazy. Didn't Jimmy know what they were about to do?

"Aren't you nervous?" Chuck quietly asked him.

Jimmy looked back. "Nervous? No. Scared to death? Hell, yeah."

Chuck exhaled deeply. "Thank God."

Jimmy turned around and regarded Chuck like he just arrived on this planet. "I'm scared to death, and you're relieved? And you called ME crazy in the van?"

"Well, you look so calm right now. I thought there was something wrong with me."

"I'm petrified. I never did anything remotely resembling this before."

"Uh, not to split hairs, but I think Sarah and Ellie would disagree with you. I know you don't like to talk about that…"

"And yet we are? Now, of all times?"

"Sorry. My point is that it's comforting knowing that you're as scared as I am. And given what you've done for us, I can't think of anybody I'd rather have right now helping me rescue Sarah and Casey."

Jimmy turned with an appreciative smile. He wasn't used to people saying things like that to him. Chuck didn't always say the right thing at the right time, but this was one time he did. "We'll get them out. And thanks."

They reached the stairwell entrance to the third floor. Jimmy opened the door slightly and saw the two guards 15 feet down the hallway. He kept his voice low.

"OK, I'll take out the guards. But the minute they fall, we have to rush the door. There might be others inside, and we don't want them hitting the alarm bell."

Chuck nodded his assent. Jimmy moved him over to the other side of the door and pointed to the door handle. Chuck signaled he was ready. Jimmy checked that the gun was secure in his right hand, cocking it with his left thumb. He then cocked the gun in his left hand.

"3…2…1…now!"

Chuck pulled the door wide open. Jimmy sprinted in guns firing. The two guards fall. Chuck raced ahead and tried to open the door. It was locked.

"Move away!" Jimmy shouted.

Chuck moved to the side, and Jimmy kicked the door in. He charged the man nearest the door, slamming him into the wall, knocking Murphy off his feet in the process. One of the men came at Chuck, who flashed on the Intersect's combat skills. Chuck landed a hard jab on the guy's nose and then sent him into the wall with a well-placed kick. Chuck pushed himself into the air off the back of the chair Casey was in, landing consecutive kicks to the heads of the two other agents in the back of the room. Jimmy brought his knee up into the first agent's groin. He then slammed the agent's head into the wall, taking him out. He aimed his gun right at Murphy's head, who was trying to get up.

"Don't even think about it!" Jimmy put the gun in his right hand away while keeping the other gun out. Murphy dropped the bat. Chuck examined the barely-conscious Casey and began looking around for the keys to the handcuffs.

"Where is Agent Walker being held?" Although Jimmy had a wide-eyed look of rage, the question directed at Murphy was very calm.

"Go to hell," Murphy growled.

Jimmy shot Murphy in the knee. Murphy fell back to the ground and screamed in pain while holding his knee.

"I didn't ask for travel recommendations. I asked you…where is Agent Walker being held?"

"Go screw yourself."

Jimmy shot him in the other knee. Murphy clutched that one as well as he howled from the pain.

"I already do that. Although I hope one day for women to do that to me. Preferably Salma Hayek."

Jimmy's voice remained at the same level and pitch. Even Casey looked impressed in spite of barely registering what was going on. Jimmy placed the gun two inches from Murphy's groin.

"You have one last chance before I perform a low-budget sex change on you. Where…Is…Agent…Walker?"

Murphy breathed hard through the pain, his teeth tightly clenched. "B-225. In the basement."

"Thank you." Jimmy calmly turned around and puts the gun away. His attention was focused on Casey. Chuck found the handcuff key and started to free Casey. Casey slowly looked at them.

"What the hell are you two doing here?"

"Beckman refused to send anybody to get you and Sarah," Chuck answered.

Even with his injuries, the classic Casey grumble could still be heard. "And you two didn't wait for extraction? Are you out of your minds?"

Jimmy was livid. "You're welcome! Can't you EVER thank someone for saving your life?" Jimmy pulled Casey's arm around his shoulders to help him up. "Would it really hurt you to say 'thanks for coming after me'? I respect the whole 'death before dishonor' thing you have going, but isn't it possible for you to be grateful that someone actually gives a flying fu-"

Jimmy was cut off by the sound of shots ringing out. His eyes went wide, and he looked to his right. Murphy collapsed to the floor with two bullet holes in his chest and a knife in his right hand, which he was ready to throw at Jimmy. Looking behind him, Jimmy saw his gun in Casey's hand and smoke coming out of the barrel. He was instantly humbled.

"We are SO even now."

Chuck grabs Casey's other arm. Jimmy and he help Casey out of the room.

* * *

Grant, the agents, and the technicians watched the drug take effect. Sarah's eyes glazed over slightly. She had trouble keeping her head up. Suddenly, she slumped over. The two technicians looked at each other in surprise.

"What the hell happened?" Grant's question was terse and intimidating.

"We don't know." The technician went to check on Sarah. "Her pulse is slow, breathing is regular. That shouldn't have happened."

"Dammit, you gave her too much. Give her a stimulant of some kind."

The second technician spoke up. "Ma'am, giving neuro-stimulants with chlorotrilate won't work. It could cause permanent damage. It will only take a few hours for the medication to wear off. We can start again once it does."

Grant's radio beeped. "Hold on." She turned to the technicians. "Both of you stay here and let me know the instant she recovers." She motioned for the two agents to follow her out.

* * *

Chuck and Casey got to the stairwell. Casey held on to the rail going down as Chuck helped him descend. Behind them, Jimmy kept watch with his gun drawn. As they headed down, he took off the backpack. He pulled an object out of the backpack roughly the size of two decks of cards. There was a small switch on the object, which lit up when Jimmy turned it on. He left it along an interior wall on the third floor. When they get to the second floor landing, he took out another object from the backpack, activated it, and left it in a similar spot. Looking up, Jimmy saw nobody following them. He ran ahead of Chuck and Casey to the lobby to keep them covered.

Chuck pulled Casey outside and around to the side of the building, leaning him up against it.

"The car is 50 yards that way!" Chuck pointed in the direction of the car and tossed Casey the keys. He then turned around and sprinted past Jimmy back into the building. He surprised both of them.

"Bartowski! Get back here!" He limped around the corner and spotted Jimmy. Jimmy looked back and forth between Casey and the departing Chuck. He threw his hands up.

"Slade, shoot him in the ankle. Kneecap him! Something!"

Jimmy looked toward Chuck but couldn't bring himself to do it. "If I shoot him, it'll just make him mad." Jimmy put the battery back in his mobile phone and tossed it to Casey. "Call the police. Don't call Beckman, 'cause she'll dry-roast all our asses. Whatever happens, don't let anybody into the building!"

"Why?"

"Because in 15 minutes, it won't exist!" Jimmy ran in after Chuck.

* * *

Grant walked down the hall in the basement with the other two agents behind her, trying to hear a report over her radio.

"Repeat that last item."

"The report on Bartowski and Slade was false! Someone must have phoned it in."

The whole idea of capturing Colonel Casey and Agent Walker was twofold. Grant wanted to eliminate Bartowski's and Slade's protectors. She also wanted to make them panic into trying to run, where they could easily be taken in a coordinated effort.

"They wouldn't…" Not only did they not panic, they may actually try something as crazy as a rescue. She turned to the agents. "Start searching the building." They departed towards the stairwell as Grant ran in the opposite direction towards the front of the building.

"Security desk, come in." There was no response. "Security desk!" Grant pulled out a gun and headed to the first floor, still not believing Bartowski and Slade might actually be in the building.

* * *

Chuck ran down the hall, heading for the opposite end of the building. Jimmy tried to catch up.

"Chuck, hold up!" Jimmy shouted while breathing heavily from the run.

Chuck stopped and turned to wait for Jimmy. Jimmy closed the gap. Behind Chuck, the two agents from the basement appeared in the hallway.

"Get down!"

Jimmy flew at Chuck and tackled him to the ground. He pulled out his gun and fired at the agents repeatedly. Both took hits and fell. Chuck groaned underneath Jimmy from the tackle.

"Ugh, it was so much better when Sarah did that."

Jimmy couldn't argue that point. "Yeah, she is much easier on the eyes. And the ribs…back…groin…"

They got up and slowly made their way to the stairwell at the back of the building, Chuck gingerly stepping around the two dead agents.

"Wait here," Jimmy said. "Back in two seconds."

Chuck watched him go up the stairs, wondering why he was doing that. He nervously looked around to see if anybody was nearby. Not only was it hard to believe they were still alive, they might actually pull this off. Casey was out, and they knew where Sarah was. Now it was a matter of getting her out before those agents figured out the police report was false and return.

He heard footsteps coming down the stairwell. Jimmy made the turn from the upper level. It distracted Chuck from seeing the two agents that started pulling him away. Chuck struggled against them. Jimmy ran down to the first floor just in time to see Chuck head-butt one agent in the nose and throw an elbow at the other. That agent went down as Chuck applied a back kick to the first agent, sending him towards the railing of the stairwell. His momentum sent him over. The agent grabbed Jimmy as he went down, pulling Jimmy over the railing as well. The agent fell 30 feet to the basement. Jimmy grabbed the bottom rail on the first floor stairwell, desperately trying to hang on.

"Jimmy!"

Chuck rushed over to Jimmy. He leaned over the rail to pull him up. Jimmy looked at him with a bizarre expression on his face.

"You're going to try and pull me up? That would be REALLY impressive."

Chuck looked at the stairwell. "Well, then move to your left and try to..."

"Look out!"

The other agent came at Chuck. Jimmy instinctively pulled out his gun and shot the agent, forgetting he couldn't grip the railing with his right hand. His hand slipped off the railing. He plummeted.

"NO!"

Chuck raced down the stairs. Jimmy was lying on the ground and not moving. Chuck ran over to him. He knelt down and checked to see if Jimmy was still alive.

"Jimmy! Come on!"

Chuck checked his pulse. It was there. Jimmy slowly stirred.

"My God! Are you OK?" Chuck grabbed Jimmy's face, trying to get Jimmy to come around.

Jimmy's eyes were still shut, but he started moving all his extremities to make sure they worked.

"It's fine. The dead guy broke the fall," Jimmy quietly muttered.

Chuck carefully pulled him to a sitting position. He saw the agent underneath Jimmy. "You sure he's dead?"

Jimmy finally opened his eyes, looked at the agent under him, and gave Chuck a weird look. "Well, if he wasn't dead before, he sure as hell is now!"

Chuck pulled him up. He hung on to Jimmy until he could walk under his own power.

"I'm good, I'm good. Let's finish this, and then I'll worry about going on the disabled list."

Jimmy straightened up, grabbed his gun from the ground, and reloaded it. Chuck and he moved slowly into the basement corridor. They made their way down the hall. B-225 was the second door they encountered. Jimmy faced the door with his gun pointed. Chuck moved to the side of the door and put his hand on the door handle. He looked at Jimmy, who nodded. He opened the door and Jimmy rushed in with Chuck right on his heels.

"Get away from her!" The two technicians moved slowly away from Sarah with their hands up.

Chuck went to Sarah and was visibly shaken at seeing her unconscious. It may not have been the first time he had seen her this way, but that didn't make it any easier.

"Over by the wall, on your knees, and hands behind your head." Jimmy kept his gun on the two technicians while they followed his orders. He turned back towards Chuck.

"How is she?"

Chuck was still in a cloud of emotion from seeing Sarah in this condition, but he snapped out of it. He checked her pulse.

"Her pulse is slow but steady."

Jimmy pointed his gun at the head of one of the technicians. "What did you give her?"

"Chlorotrilate," the technician replied. "But we don't know why she's unconscious. We gave her a very small dosage."

Jimmy pulled a light from the technician's labcoat and went to Sarah. He checked her pupils, but they responded normally.

"What the hell, then? You'd think the CIA would practice this stuff with agents."

Chuck listened for Sarah's breathing, which was slow but also regular. He then saw Sarah's right hand.

"Why would her fist be clenched? Needles don't bother her, as far as I know."

Jimmy looked at her right hand and gently pried her fingers apart. He saw the needle and vial in her hand. He carefully took it out. He was puzzled.

"I've never seen anything like this before. Do you know what it is?"

Chuck got a little squeamish. "Aaah, I have a thing about needles. They make me…"

He was interrupted by a flash. He saw an image of a hospital, a laboratory experiment, and a picture of the container with the words "emergency injection system."

Chuck shook off the flash. "It's part of an injection system. They're issued to CIA agents. There are three vials that can render you unconscious, bring you back, or kill you quickly."

"What happened to the good ol' days when you just had a cyanide pill?"

Chuck looked at Sarah. "She must have the container on her somewhere. Search for it."

Jimmy nervously took a step back. "Uh, dude, there's only so many places she can hide that in her work clothes, most of which only you have the access rights."

Chuck was irate. "What? Her life is on the line! She's not gonna suddenly wake up and think you're copping a feel! Help me here!"

Jimmy stepped further back. "Just-just look, willya?"

Jimmy turned around while Chuck started to search and caught one of the technicians pulling out a radio. He took his gun and nailed each technician in the back of the head, knocking them out.

He turned back to see Chuck with the container in his hand and a very annoyed expression on his face.

"It was in her back pocket. It was the first place I checked."

Jimmy turned beet red with embarassment. "Sorry. I was afraid she was going to be more creative in hiding it."

Chuck and Jimmy examined the container.

"A yellow compartment with a minus, a green compartment with a plus, and a red compartment with an X," Chuck observed.

"Wow, they REALLY don't want you screwing this up, do they?"

Chuck opened the green compartment. There was a similar vial injector to the one Jimmy found on Sarah.

"I'll go out on a limb here and say we shouldn't use the red one with the X," Jimmy said.

He took the vial and injected Sarah with it. He then removed the IV needle and untied her wrists. Jimmy then readied one of the automatic weapons.

"OK, I'll lead us out. You carry her."

"Wait, you're stronger. It'd be easier for you."

"OK, do you want to shoot the bad guys, then?"

Chuck quickly reversed his stance. "Eh, she can't be more than 110. 115, max."

He lifted Sarah into his arms.

"How long before she regains consciousness?" Chuck asked.

"I don't know. Hopefully not long. She's gonna chew both our asses out when she wakes up. If it's any consolation, the couch in your apartment is very comfortable for sleeping."

Chuck rolled his eyes. Jimmy slowly opened the door. Peering out, he didn't see anybody. He motioned Chuck forward. They moved out into the hallway and headed to the stairwell at the other end of the hall.

* * *

Grant arrived at the security desk in the front lobby. She did not see anybody around. She checked the video surveillance, but she could not find Chuck or Jimmy on any of the video monitors. Glancing to her right, she saw a storage closet slightly ajar. She goes to the closet and opens the door. She discovers the three guards that were supposed to be on duty in the lobby.

"Son of a bitch." She takes out her radio.

"Find Bartowski and Slade. They're in the building. Send two units up to Murphy and find out what the hell is going on. The rest of you converge on the basement. They're going to try and get Walker."

* * *

Chuck and Jimmy slowly made their way to the opposite end of the building. Every 3 doors, Jimmy pulled another item out of the backpack, activated it, and threw it into a room. They reached halfway down the hall. Suddenly, they heard footsteps from behind. Jimmy turned to to see 5 agents heading their way.

"Go!" Jimmy charged down the hall at the agents while Chuck ran towards the stairwell in the opposite direction. Jimmy opened fire with the automatic weapon, spraying the hall with bullets. All 5 agents took hits and fell dead. Jimmy turned and ran back to Chuck.

An agent appeared in front of Chuck. He flashed on some special instructions from the Intersect. Chuck rolled Sarah close to him, pivoted around, and kicked up with his heel, nailing the agent in the chin, who promptly went down. A second agent appeared, but Jimmy was already running at him, smashing him in the face with his gun. Chuck turned towards him as two more agents attacked him. On instinct, he gently tossed the unconscious Sarah towards Jimmy, who caught her in his arms. Chuck leaped into the air, landing a vertical kick on one of the agents. He landed, pivoted, and took out the other agent with a roundhouse kick to the head. From behind, an agent opened fire, hitting Jimmy in the right knee. He collapsed to the ground still holding Sarah. Jimmy screamed in pain.

"Jimmy!" Chuck opened a nearby door and grabbed Jimmy's arm. Jimmy's rage was beyond control as he opened fire at the four agents at the other end of the hall.

"You bastards!" The four agents go down as Chuck pulled him into the room and locked the door. He lifted Sarah off of Jimmy and gently placed her on the ground. He then looked at Jimmy's knee, which was bleeding profusely. Jimmy pounded the floor with his fist in pain.

"God, that hurts!" Jimmy rolled back and forth on the floor as a pool of blood formed under his leg.

Chuck was trying not to panic. "We have to get you out of here."

Jimmy tried to move the leg, but he screamed even louder from the pain.

"I can't even get myself up!"

"What the hell do we do, then?" Chuck's ability to not panic was fading quickly.

Jimmy breathed hard through his clenched teeth. "Get her out of here as fast as you can. The stairs aren't far now."

"But how do I get you out?"

Jimmy looked up at Chuck. Chuck could see that same vacant look in his eyes. Jimmy exhaled deeply and shook his head.

"You don't."

Chuck staggered back against the wall from the shock, slumping to the ground. "You-you can't do that. We've got to save you."

Jimmy looked down at the ground. "Chuck, they can't be allowed to capture you. And I couldn't live with myself if either of you were killed trying to save me. Even if I could leave, that would just grant us a temporary reprieve. As long as they know I'm alive, they'll never stop coming after the three of you to get to me. This has to end, here and now."

"W-what? What are you talking about?"

Jimmy took the backpack off of his shoulder and held up one of the explosives inside of it. The same ones that littered a fair portion of the building.

"It's fourth and long, Chuck. Specialized version of plastic explosives. Semtex with a special chemical treatment to make a more powerful detonation. I read about them online once. Bad day at the office, I guess. Each of these has the same effect as a 10 pound brick of C-4. Casey had an entire cabinet full of them, complete with a remote detonator. This place needs to be blasted to hell. That's the only way they can be stopped from going after you."

"But…but you…"

Jimmy voice grew soft. "Chuck, it has to be done. I know you and Sarah wanted to help me, but there was really nothing either of you could do. There was no big tomorrow coming for me, no great job, and no beautiful woman waiting for me to come home so we can talk about how our day went. The CIA would have either put me deep underground until nobody remembered what I looked like or they would have put two through the back of my head. The truth is, I was never gonna have any great future, Intersect or not. I built up too much anger and hate for anyone to get close. I couldn't bring myself to trust anybody. To want to be near anybody. And it turns out there were people out there who would have liked me and cared about me, as all of you proved. It doesn't matter what my father or anybody else did to me. At the end of the day, I'm the only one responsible for my life. And now I have to pay for it."

Chuck continued to stare at Jimmy in shock.

"At least I'll get some redemption this way." Jimmy gazed out into space. "Most people never get to see death coming, or they have to sit in a hospital bed somewhere waiting for it and watch their spirit bleed away in the process. I can just picture the heart attack that would have been on my doorstep 10 or 15 years from now. End up on some fleabag hotel room floor, nobody finding me for days. A heart attack when you're all alone in the world. That's no way to die."

Chuck continued to look at him. Something in Jimmy's last sentence triggered a thought that put a smile on his face.

"A parachute not opening up, now that's a way to die."

Jimmy turned to Chuck and saw the grin on his face. He caught the reference and started to smile himself.

"Getting caught in the gears of a combine." Both of them started to crack up. "Having your nuts bit off by a Laplander…"

"That's the way I wanna go!" they said at the same time before laughing hysterically.

Chuck stood up and pulled Jimmy up with him. Jimmy balanced himself on the wall. He tried hopping on his good leg.

"Good luck. Take care of those two for me, will you?"

Chuck grabbed Jimmy and hugged him tightly.

"Thank you…for everything."

Jimmy opened the door and peered out. The hallway was empty. Chuck picked up Sarah and walked towards the stairwell. Jimmy grabbed the backpack and headed the opposite way, hopping slowly and using the wall to support himself.

Chuck finds the stairwell, his mind still unable to shake what has happened. Even with the cold, calculating logic Jimmy used about their situation, he couldn't accept it. After everything that has happened over the last two weeks, it's going to end like this?

_Come on, Sarah. Wake up. I need you_, Chuck thought as he gave Sarah a gentle shake. If she was conscious, they could go back and get Jimmy. The two of them together could get him out. But Sarah remained still in his arms as he gently cradled her while ascending the stairs.

He reached the landing between the basement and the first floor and stopped for a moment. He looked down at her. It felt very weird he was the one doing the rescuing this time. Obviously, this wouldn't make up for all the times she saved his life…not even close. And of course, he did have help. He gently shook Sarah in his arms again.

_Sarah, please! We need to get Jimmy. We can't let him die like this. Please wake up!_ Chuck looked around and then gently raised her head. He placed a gentle kiss on her lips. There was no response.

_Idiot! This isn't a Disney movie! This is real frakkin' life!_ Chuck shook his head in disgust. Perhaps another time that would have been considered very romantic, but not now.

The sounds of footsteps from above disrupted his small tangent of self-loathing. He ducked down. The group of agents that went out to pursue them from the fake police report entered the building. They ran down the hall, presumably to the back of the building where Sarah was being kept. They didn't notice Chuck in the stairwell. Chuck waited until the footsteps faded, and then he proceeded slowly up the remaining half-flight of stairs.

* * *

_How __in the hell did I manage this?_

Jimmy slowly hopped down the hallway, attempting to find more places to put the explosives. Supposedly, your life was supposed to flash before your eyes right before death. He still had a few minutes before that occurred, and the only things going through his mind were the last two weeks. How in the hell did he go from teaching a class in spreadsheet usage to preparing to blow up the facility of an enemy of the state? It was almost ludicrous what had happened to bring things to where they were now. He was shot at, leaped off of a building, lured killers to him by creating an ersatz karaoke bar, survived a fall by using a corpse for a mattress, leaped back and forth between speeding cars…and those were the easy parts.

He had been through more crazy things in the last 2 weeks than he had in his entire life. But what choice did he have? It was about surviving, wasn't it? No, it was more than that. Lives were on the line. The lives of people who didn't look at him the way people looked at him in his youth. These people wanted him to be with them. They relied on him and cared about him. They actually considered him a friend. Maybe it didn't happen in an instant, but they were willing to trust him like nobody ever did in his life. The last two weeks, hell that they were at times, were greater than anything he had ever experienced.

Unfortunately, those two weeks came with a price. That "Slade's Law" thing again. But like so many things that happened in his life, there was nothing or nobody he could point the finger at. It just happened that way. Was it really their fault there was a mole in the NSA? A mole who happened to be the same bitch from the University of Illinois all those years ago? How could they have known?

He didn't want things to end this way. He got a taste of what it would be like to not be alone anymore, and it very much suited him. But he was beyond that point now. It was down to a choice between him or Chuck and Sarah. In that scenario, it was a no-brainer who would get to survive.

He found a steel door down the hallway. Opening it and looking inside, he discovered a half-basement with a boiler room. There appeared to be several storage tanks in the room as well. He hopped inside and pulled the remaining explosives out of the backpack. He activated them and placed them around the boiler and the tanks. He also placed a few on what looked like load-bearing walls inside. He slowly hopped out, looking around to see if anybody was coming. He stopped for a second, breathing heavily from the effort.

He suddenly remembered he was supposed to be teaching a class in St. Louis today. It was his first stop on his Midwest swing of classes that would take him through Christmas. He had been looking forward to returning to Chicago for a few days later in the week. He got the feeling he may not make those classes. He chuckled at that thought. He then remembered his favorite line from _Die Hard_. He thought himself as a bit original to not have that "Yippee kai-yay" line as his favorite.

"Come out to the coast! We'll get together! Have a few laughs!" he said to the hallway. Now he knew how John McClane must have felt.

* * *

Chuck made it to the lobby and saw nobody around. He looked back down the stairs. The temptation was there to go back and grab Jimmy, but he knew the time to do that had come and gone. He hung his head. Jimmy did promise they'd get Sarah and Casey out of there. He never made that same promise about himself, though. Chuck tried to keep himself together as he exited the building with Sarah.

* * *

Jimmy hopped down the hallway back towards the same stairwell Chuck used to escape with Sarah. Some of that Bartowski optimism had rubbed off on him. He was starting to think he might get out of there after all. He might actually have a shot at this. That is, until he heard the footsteps of people behind him. He fell against a door, leaning on it for support, as a large group of agents surround him. Two of them searched Jimmy and remove his weapons.

Alicia Grant walked through the crowd and looked him in the eye.

"Looks like all those meals you should have skipped have finally done you in."

Jimmy shook his head and had a defiant snarl on his face. "They're long gone, Grant. You'll never get them now."

"Well, at least we have you. And it will be a long and painful employment with us."

"I seriously doubt it."

Jimmy reached into his right coat pocket and pulled out an object. Grant pulled out her gun and shot Jimmy in his right arm. He dropped the object as he screamed. Grant gave him a vile smirk as she shot him in his left knee. He howled in pain as he fell face-forward to the ground.

* * *

Chuck ran towards the car. In the distance, he could hear the sirens from fire trucks. Sarah stirred in his arms. She opened her eyes slowly.

"W-what is going on?" She realized Chuck was carrying her. "Chuck!"

Chuck stopped, put her down gently, and started running again. "Come on. We have to get out of here!"

Sarah took a few steps, but then she turned back to the building. "Where's Casey? Where's Jimmy?" She started to head back. "We have to go get them!"

Chuck grabbed her and pulled her along with him. "No! It's too late!"

* * *

Jimmy was doubled-over on the floor in extreme pain from being shot in both knees and his right arm. Two agents pulled him to a sitting position. He was breathing hard through the pain, his left hand clutching his stomach. Grant looked at him with that same "scraped off the bottom of her shoe" expression she had for him 20 years ago.

"It's a bit pathetic, actually. Watching you wallow in pain like that. Not the first time I've heard it coming from you. We just need that brain of yours. Although I don't think you're as smart as my bosses claim. You thought you could rescue your friends? You actually think you could have gone against us and won? You were never going to outsmart all of us."

Jimmy looked up at her. Through his pain, a small laugh came out. It gained in strength the longer he looked at her. The laugh had a manaical tone behind it.

"What?" Grant asked with some amusement.

Jimmy continued to laugh with a deranged expression. "All of your resources, all of your observations, all of your claims of being smarter than me, and you forgot one very important detail."

Jimmy lifted his left hand from his stomach. His hand contained the remote detonator...the real remote detonator.

"I'm not right-handed, bitch!"

Jimmy smiled, gave Grant the finger, and pushed the button.

Explosions occurred from all over the basement. There were blasts from the edges of the building. A massive explosion from the sub-basement sent a fireball roaring through the hallway.

Chuck and Sarah were knocked off their feet by the explosion. They saw windows explode outward, flashes from the edges of the building, and fire shooting out from the basement area. The building began to shake. The structure of the building couldn't support itself as explosion after explosion rocked it. The building began to collapse. Chuck and Sarah got up while hanging on to each other.

Sarah looked at him. "Is Casey OK?"

"We got him out."

Sarah looked at him in fear. "Jimmy?"

Chuck was shaking and struggled to speak. "He was injured. I couldn't get both of you out. I had to choose you."

The words hit Sarah with a blast of cold dread. "You…you chose me." She says the words in a daze.

Chuck turns to her. Tears were already falling down his face.

"We both did."

They hung on to each other as emergency vehicles arrived on the scene.

_**Buy More  
October 27, 2009  
11:00 AM**_

Chuck walked slowly into the Buy More in a fog. Big Mike came up to him with a wide grin on his face.

"Bartowski! I just heard from corporate. We set a new monthly sales record for this store, and we did it in only two weeks! We've also did the best of all the Buy Mores this month! First time in 10 years! They're coming out next week to congratulate us for all the hard work! And it's all thanks to Anthony! I've been looking for him since lunchtime yesterday. Have you seen him around?"

Chuck looked at Big Mike slowly. Big Mike saw Chuck's blank expression, and the smile on his face faded quickly.

_**Forest Lawn Memorial Park  
October 30, 2009  
10:30 AM**_

The past four days went by slowly, but Chuck could not remember much from them. He walked around in that same fog since Monday night. The CIA brought Sarah and him to the hospital to be checked out. Casey remained there until late yesterday as they tended to all of his injuries.

He had to give the government credit: they took care of everything. In fact, Sarah and he were under strict orders not to go to Castle. An agent was sent to work at the Orange Orange during the week, and several hours of debriefing regarding the rescue were conducted entirely at their apartment. The CIA took care of everything else. They made arrangements for the funeral and took care of informing Buy More corporate of what happened. The cover story was that Jimmy was killed on the 710 freeway when he was hit by a car while helping a stranded motorist. He insisted on telling Ellie and Awesome himself, but it hurt him the most when he had to convince Ellie that Jimmy's death was legitimate.

Chuck sat in the front row at the service next to Sarah. Devon and Ellie sat to her right. Behind them, Big Mike, Anna, Jeff, Lester, and Morgan occupied a row. Casey stood in the back behind the remaining rows of seats, unable to sit down because of the injury to his knee. Sadly, the people at the memorial park did too good of a job. There were far more seats set up than were needed.

He barely paid attention to the priest performing the service. It certainly seemed pointless to listen to someone who didn't know a thing about Jimmy, and there was really nothing he could say that would make this day bearable. The only thing helping him was holding Sarah's hand. He glanced sideways towards her from time to time, but she remained facing forward. He felt her hand tighten its grip once or twice, but he wanted to let her be and grieve undisturbed. In fact, she was the one to gently nudge him when it was time for him to go up and give the eulogy. He held her hand for a moment, looking at her, before he walked up to the small white podium near the casket.

"Anthony told me the people he was closest to in his whole life were all of us. In a way, that seems a bit sad. We knew him for such a short time. But I don't think we'll ever forget how much of an impact he had. It was something unexpected but still amazing, watching Anthony make everyone's lives better. It seemed second nature to him, as if…that's what you're expected to do with your life. Not once did he even consider what he needed. He never asked for anything; he even bristled at the thought of anyone helping him. It was just his way to think of other people first, himself second."

Chuck scanned the faces in the group. He locked eyes on his sister, who was sitting there with tears down her cheeks. Devon held her hand tightly. Morgan and everybody from the Buy More were silent, sometimes looking down. Chuck looked out at Casey, who had an impassive look on his face. He then looked at Sarah.

"Someone very close to me once said, 'How many times do you have to be a hero before you realize you are one?' Those words will always remind me of Anthony. I don't think he ever considered himself a hero, even though he did many things that couldn't be described any other way than heroic. I don't think he truly knew how much he meant to all of us. He just did what he did and never thought about how important he was."

Chuck paused to wipe a tear away. "Maybe that's OK. Maybe it doesn't matter if he didn't know. We knew. We knew how special he was. How much he cared."

"When we walk away from here today, perhaps that's what we need to do. All of us have people in our lives who make our lives better with no regard for themselves. That's a hero, isn't it. Someone who sacrifices to make you better. All of us know somebody who sacrifices for us. We need to let them know how much they mean to us, how much we love them. Maybe…maybe that's why we have heroes. That way we truly understand how important we are to each other."

Chuck put a hand on Jimmy's coffin. "We love you, Anthony. We will never forget you."

He reached down behind the podium and opened a box that was there. He took out Jimmy's Chicago Bears jersey and placed it on top of the casket. He slowly returned to his seat. Sarah took his hand in hers.

The service concluded a few minutes later. Big Mike, Anna, Jeff, and Lester walked together to a waiting car. Morgan walked up to Chuck and gave him a big hug. He then walked at a quicker pace to catch up to the Buy More staff. Ellie and Devon gave hugs to Chuck and Sarah as they departed. Ellie walked back to Casey and gave him a hug as well. Devon shook his hand. Chuck and Sarah stood for a moment looking at Jimmy's casket, and then they slowly walked down the aisle between the seats. Casey walked up to the coffin, aided by a cane, holding a medal with a red ribbon and a single blue stripe. His voice was muted.

"I received this citation for bravery for helping rescue civilians from Taliban forces just after 9/11. They sent us in to guard troop transports, but we received intel these forces were robbing from the people and killing little children. It was never an official mission, but they awarded us a Bronze Star for helping out the villagers. I couldn't tell anyone about it or show it to anybody."

Casey checked to see if anybody was looking, and then unlatched the coffin. He reached in and gently placed the Bronze Star inside. He re-latched the coffin.

"I spent a lot of years in the military, worked with some of the bravest people I've ever known. When I went to the NSA, I spent most of my time having to hunt down or protect some of the worst scum this planet has ever seen. Never again thought I'd meet a person I could respect and admire for how much they work and sacrifice for others."

He paused and exhaled, briefly looking at Chuck and Sarah. "I ended up meeting three."

He placed a hand on Jimmy's coffin. "I'll take care of the other two for you. I promise."

Casey slowly walked to his car.

Chuck and Sarah walked away from the service. Chuck suddenly stopped and turned in front of Sarah. He took both of her hands.

"I am so sorry. We couldn't just leave you there to die."

Sarah looked down, trying to fight back tears. "I know."

"I…I…it's like he knew what had to be done. All he cared about was you and Casey and getting you out. He didn't even care if…if…"

Chuck let the words trail off as they didn't have any effect on her at all. He put his hands on her shoulders. He gently pulled her to him and wrapped his arms around her tightly. He could feel her collapse in his arms as she broke down crying. He held onto her, trying to envelop as much of her as possible, cradling her. Her arms came up around him and gripped him tightly. He buried his face in her hair as the tears came for him. They held on to each other for a long time.


	16. Alternate Ending and List of References

_I was originally going to make this my only fanfic submission. But I came up with two more ideas for stories, and I've gotten a lot of positive feedback so far on the ChuckMeMondays Challenge. However, the two stories I have in mind require some alterations to "Chuck vs. the Alpha Version." (you already know what's coming, don't you) At the end of this, there's also a list of the non-Chuck references that were in the fanfic. Most of them I'm sure you caught, but there were a few obscure ones. Feel free to review this chapter as well if you wish._

_I hope everybody enjoyed this fanfic, and the gang will see you in "Chuck vs. the 42-Year-Old Virgin". _

* * *

_Chuck put a hand on Jimmy's coffin. "We love you, Anthony. We will never forget you."_

_He reached down behind the podium and opened a box that was there. He took out Jimmy's Chicago Bears jersey and placed it on top of the casket. He slowly returned to his seat. Sarah took his hand in hers._

_The service concluded a few minutes later. Big Mike, Anna, Jeff, and Lester walked together to a waiting car. Morgan walked up to Chuck and gave him a big hug. He then walked at a quicker pace to catch up to the Buy More staff. Ellie andDevongave hugs to Chuck and Sarah as they departed. Ellie walked back to Casey and gave him a hug as his hand. Chuck and Sarah stood for a moment looking at Jimmy's casket, and then they slowly walked down the aisle between the seats. Casey walked up to the coffin, aided by a cane, holding a medal with a red ribbon and a single blue stripe. His voice was muted._

_"I received this citation for bravery for helping rescue civilians from Taliban forces just after 9/11. They sent us in to guard troop transports, but we received intel these forces were robbing from the people and killing little children. It was never an official mission, but they awarded us a Bronze Star for helping out the villagers. I couldn't tell anyone about it or show it to anybody."_

_Casey checked to see if anybody was looking, and then unlatched the coffin. He reached in and gently placed the Bronze Star inside. He re-latched the coffin._

_"I spent a lot of years in the military, worked with some of the bravest people I've ever known. When I went to the NSA, I spent most of my time having to hunt down or protect some of the worst scum this planet has ever seen. Never again thought I'd meet a person I could respect and admire for how much they work and sacrifice for others."_

_He paused and exhaled, briefly looking at Chuck and Sarah. "I ended up meeting three."_

_He placed a hand on Jimmy's coffin. "I'll take care of the other two for you. I promise."_

_Casey slowly walked to his car._

_Chuck and Sarah walked away from the service. Chuck suddenly stopped and turned in front of Sarah. He took both of her hands._

_"I am so sorry. We couldn't just leave you there to die."_

_Sarah looked down, trying to fight back tears. "I know."_

_ "I…I…it's like he knew what had to be done. All he cared about was you and Casey and getting you out. He didn't even care if…if…" _

_Chuck let the words trail off as they didn't have any effect on her at all. He put his hands on her shoulders. He gently pulled her to him and wrapped his arms around her tightly. He could feel her collapse in his arms as she broke down crying. He held onto her, trying to envelop as much of her as possible, cradling her. Her arms came up around him and gripped him tightly. He buried his face in her hair as the tears came for him. They held on to each other for a long time. _

* * *

400 yards from the small group walking away from a soon-to-be-buried casket, a man sat in a wheelchair on a hill, barely able to keep his head up. His face was completely bandaged, and he could only see out of his left eye. The loose robe around him was needed. The third-degree burns throughout his body made wearing clothing difficult. Large neoprene sleeves covered each of his knees, and his right arm was in a sling. Next to him, a young assistant held a pair of binoculars to the man's face with military precision, allowing him to view the funeral that just concluded. Behind the man, a short woman in a military uniform stood observing the scene and occasionally looking down at the man who helped take down The Ring's installation in Los Angeles.

Jimmy turned his head to the assistant and nodded, and the assistant took the binoculars away. Jimmy was still in a fog. He thought he was supposed to be dead. At least, that was the whole idea behind blowing up the building and allowing Chuck to escape with Sarah. He woke up yesterday afternoon, which was something of a shock itself. All he saw was a nurse and a doctor. He was in what looked like a hospital room, but the equipment was far more sophisticated that what he saw at Westside. He could feel tubes inside of him, and he was hooked up to what looked like a colony of IV bags. All he could get from the doctor and the nurse was to rest; that everything would be explained later. He wasn't in any condition to argue the point with them.

He was awakened three hours ago. Several nurses and orderlies assisted in making him ambulatory. They gave him several shots to help deal with the pain. He was wheeled to a waiting van and brought here. When he heard the voice of General Beckman, a small part of him wanted to get up and choke her to death. That bitch left Sarah and Casey to die, and he and Chuck had to defy orders and risk their lives to save them.

"I don't know what I find creepier: watching my own funeral or that people actually showed up for it."

Beckman rolled her eyes at the comment, thinking for a brief second the EMT's shouldn't have attempted to revive him. Casey's call to the L.A. County Fire Department was just in the nick of time. Had they found Jimmy buried under a table and concrete 10 minutes later, there would have been no chance of bringing him back. He was transferred to an ambulance dispatched by the local NSA office, which intercepted Casey's call. They found three other Ring agents alive at the scene, two of whom were recovering. They were kept in another section of the secure medical center in Victorville from where Jimmy was being treated. Nobody else in the building survived, including Grant.

"Consider yourself fortunate to be alive, Mr. Slade. The government has a few medications they developed that don't need to wait for approval before use."

Jimmy was as incredulous as he could be in his condition. "Fortunate? You think I should feel fortunate? I didn't ask you to pull me out of there. I didn't ask to be a part of any of this. They were nothing but kind and helpful to me, and you left them to die. Chuck and I shouldn't have had to save them like that. So you'll have to forgive me if I think you should go to hell."

"Mr. Slade, do you honestly think you were acting against our orders? It would have been a simple matter of locking Castle remotely and disabling Chuck's access codes if we really wanted the two of you to stay in there. But I knew we would be dealing with two Intersects who would never work for us in their lives again if we did that. Chuck has proven over and over again his value to the team. And based on the reports Walker and Casey submitted, you were the best shot at retrieving them. I knew you and Chuck could figure out where The Ring was keeping them and get them out.

"You should be dead right now, or locked away in one of our facilities. But you had the foresight to make this about more than just rescuing Sarah and Casey. You took out their facility. Thanks to the research you and Chuck did, we now have a viable lead into the other Ring facilities across the country. The two of you accomplished in 20 minutes what we couldn't do in 6 months. Strike teams are mobilizing even as we speak to take out their other locations. We decided actions like that merited something more than a bunker or a bullet."

General Beckman placed a file folder in Jimmy's lap. "Chuck, Sarah, and Casey wanted you to have a new life, and we have every intention of giving it to you."

Jimmy was still upset at being used like he was. He gently shook his head. In spite of being in pain and barely able to move, the rescue was a total success. Chuck, Sarah, and Casey were safe, and it would appear they went to bat for him. They wanted him to join the CIA. He couldn't let them down, could he?

He carefully opened the folder and looked at the first page.

"Roger Murdock? That's my new name?"

"Is there a problem with it?"

"No, not at all. As long as you don't expect me to drag Walton and Lanier up and down the court for 48 minutes."

"Just make sure you're out there busting your buns every night, and we won't have a problem."

It hurt too much for Jimmy to roll his eyes. _Everyone's a comedian_, he thought. He read further. He would live and receive training at Nellis Air Force Base. At least moving wouldn't be too expensive. Then he looked down at his cover job.

"An Elvis impersonator? You've got to be kidding."

"Next time you jump on stage to create a diversion, sing a Britney Spears song. Then we wouldn't have come up with that idea."

"I gather I won't ever be able to have a peanut butter-and-banana sandwich, right?"

"That's the other part of your training. You have get in much better shape. Fortunately, between all the work we have in store and the intense training you'll go through, it will happen. Don't expect to get much sleep in the next year. We want you out in the field as quickly as possible."

That was the one thing that didn't faze Jimmy; sleep was not an issue for him. He looked out at the funeral and watched everybody leave. General Beckman took a guess as to what is going through Jimmy's mind.

"You can never see them again. They can't know you're alive or you'll put them back in the same dangerous spot again."

Jimmy looked down. "The only people I've ever been close to in my life and you're telling me I can't see them again. This is a helluva business, isn't it."

"That it is," she replied without an ounce of sympathy. "You'll be returning to the medical center until the doctors clear you, and then it's on to Nellis. Good luck to you…Agent Murdock."

General Beckman walked away to her car. Jimmy looked as the cars pulled away from the cemetery and two workers began to lower his casket into the ground. He could feel tears coming. That future everyone had talked about for him didn't feel like much of a future. But at least there would be one. And maybe he could make something of it. He owed them that much. Chuck said that he never abandoned them. But Jimmy could say the same of them, and they were the first people he could say that about.

He looked off in the distance, talking more to himself than anyone else.

"Maybe Roger will stop by one day and bug you to death. I love you guys. Take care of yourselves."

He looked down one last time, and then he nodded to the assistant. The assistant pushed his wheelchair to the waiting van.

* * *

**_REFERENCE LIST_**

**Chapter 1**

_Kentucky Fried Movie_ – Jimmy Slade (or Big Jim Slade) was the name of the emergency guy from the "Sex Record" skit when the guy couldn't…well, you know

_The Breakfast Club_ – Shermer Township High School (the fictional school used in several John Hughes films)

**Chapter 2**

_Network_ – reference of Howard Beale, who said the famous line "I'm mad as hell, and I'm not gonna take it anymore!"

_Tony Todd_ – played CIA director Langston Graham on Chuck, the name Anthony Todd was one of Jimmy's aliases.

_Shallow Hal_ – the size 16 shoe reference was a nod to Tony Robbins, a motivational speaker like Jimmy was, who appeared in that movie and had a conversation with Hal (Jack Black) concerning his shoe size…and the implications behind it.

_University of Illinois_ – Project Goodwin was named for the street where the National Center for Supercomputing Applications is located on the U of I campus

**Chapter 3**

_Welcome Back, Kotter_ – Jimmy's "older cousin" retort to Chuck almost saying Jimmy would be like his father comes from an episode where Freddy Washington commented on Mr. Kotter being old but still able to stay with him in a basketball game that was a bet to make Freddy take a test he didn't think he had to do.

_Top Gun_ – one of Jimmy's aliases was Tom "Iceman" Kazansky, played by Val Kilmer in the movie

_Risky Business_ – Joel Goodson was another alias used by Jimmy. The movie is also referenced in Chapter 8.

_Friends_ – Jimmy's line of "did you know that I knew you knew I knew about you two" was a play on the episode "The One Where Everybody Finds Out" when Phoebe (Lisa Kudrow) was trying to outsmart Chandler and Monica into revealing they were dating with the famous line "They don't know that we know they know we know!" This was also done in "Chuck vs. the First Kill" when Morgan and the gang tried to assess Emmett's plans.

**Chapter 4**

_The Matrix_ – you pretty much can't have Chuck battle agents anymore without dropping a Matrix reference

**Chapter 5**

_Fletch Lives_ – Chuck able to get the security officer away from the monitors came from Chevy Chase pulling that one someone at the ministry.

_Caddyshack_ – lots of Chevy Chase movies feature the "as far as you know" crack, but _Caddyshack_ was the first.

**Chapter 6**

_Hackers_ – the name Emmanuel Murphy is a combination of names from two of the characters in that movie: Emmanuel "Cereal Killer" Goldstein (played by Matthew Lillard) and Dade "Zero Cool" Murphy (played by Jonny Lee Miller). The movie is more famous for being one of Angelina Jolie's first movie roles.

**Chapter 7**

_M*A*S*H_ – Jimmy's "screwed up in reverse" line comes from that show when Hawkeye and Trapper kept trying to get kicked out of the Army, but their surgical skills kept them right where they were.

**Chapter 8**

_Sex and the City_ – there was a scene on that show where Carrie Bradshaw (Sarah Jessica Parker) bribed Samantha (Kim Cattrall) into doing a favor by purchasing a brownie for her. Samantha's reaction was to call Carrie a "bastard." The same thing was recreated here when Sarah bribed Jimmy with the frozen yogurt to get him to talk to her. Hence Jimmy calling her a "bitch" with a big smile on his face.

_Good Will Hunting_ – the famous "it's not your fault" hug Robin Williams gives to Matt Damon comes up twice in the story. Once here, then once in Chapter 11.

**Chapter 9**

_Speed_ – Chuck and Jimmy in the out-of-control van, and then Jimmy being upset that it won't end with him making out with Sandra Bullock.

_Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade_ – it was the scene everybody laughed at in the theatre when I saw it where Indy jumps off the truck right before it goes over the cliff, and then he joins everybody else looking over the cliff, and they don't notice him right away.

**Chapter 10**

_Pulp Fiction_ – the needles from John Travolta shooting up in that movie, then going on the date with Uma Thurman at Jack Rabbit Slim's.

_The Honeymooners_ – the reference to Ralph Kramden and the Raccoon Lodge was the start of a running joke through the story where Jimmy would use pop culture references someone 10 years younger might not get, like a reference to The Honeymooners, The Brady Bunch, or The Avengers.

_Fletch_ – Dr. Joe (Joseph) Dolan was the internist that Chevy Chase's character went to in search of information on Alan Stanwyk. ("Moon River! Thank you, Doc. Ever serve time?")

**Chapter 11**

_The Brady Bunch_ – Cousin Oliver (played by Robby Rist) was a character brought in towards the end of the show. In his first episode, he was convinced he was jinxing everybody.

_Something Wild_ - I saw the movie in college with my then-roommate, who was the film critic for the school newspaper. Given how good Jimmy's lie was, Melanie Griffith's oh-so-apt description of Jeff Daniels ("You're a pretty good liar when you want to be.") had to make it into the story.

**Chapter 12**

_Star Wars_ – I thought "let the Casey win" would be a funny line, so I tried to work it in during this chapter.

**Chapter 14**

_Crimson Tide_ – the Gene Hackman reference about the situation being "as real as it gets" was from his speech to the crew when they were under attack by the rebel Russian sub and the order went out to fire their nuclear missiles.

_Lord of the Rings_ – Chuck was hell-bent to rescue Sarah and Casey, but obviously Jimmy would have to go with him and watch his back.

**Chapter 15**

_The Avengers_ – the line "Mrs. Peel, we're needed" was the third reference Jimmy tried that neither Chuck nor Sarah got since they were younger than he was.

_Blazing Saddles_ – there are so many great references you can pull from that one, but I went with the "If you shoot him, it'll only make him mad" advice that the Waco Kid gave to Sheriff Bart regarding Mongo. Maybe I'll get the campfire scene in on the next fanfic, although I don't know where the beans will come from.

_Ghostbusters_ – Jimmy commenting that "the dead guy broke the fall" was a play on the banquet hall scene from Ghostbusters when Ray destroyed the chandelier by accident, allowing Venkman to comment that "the table broke the fall."

_The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!_ – Chuck and Jimmy's final conversation couldn't be done without some funny pop culture reference they would both get. In this case, Frank Drebin talking about the better ways to die instead of in a hospital.

_Die Hard_ – most underrated line from that movie that summed up John McClane's "how did I end up like this" situation at Nakatomi Plaza.

**Chapter 16**

_Airplane!_ – You just know there will be more than a few references to this movie in the next story after Jimmy is given the new alias Roger Murdock.


End file.
